It's Only Just a Crush
by V.L. Cari
Summary: "They took a step back, thought about it, what should they do? 'Cause there's always repercussions when you're dating in school, But their lips met, and reservations started to pass. Whether this was just an evening or a thing that would last." [Discontinued]
1. From Strangers to Best Friends

The day they first met was like every other spring day. The little brunet boy was playing kickball outside with the rest of his class. He was always picked last, because he couldn't kick, and he couldn't catch. He was laughed at for falling on his face and for his lack of coordination and athletic skills.

He didn't mind too much that he was the last in line to be put on a team. He ignored the groans and complaints he heard aimed at him. Momma always said that they were just jealous of his positivity.

He was always placed in the right outfield. Most of the kids were right handed - or in this case, right footed, and the ball would fly toward the left. It was rare that it ever came to him. When it did, his team would yell at him for not being fast enough, or strong enough, or smart enough to play.

But he ignored it, apologized, and swore he'd try better next time. Although he never really could. Empty promises the other kids learned to ignore.

So that day when the new kid tried to play, he was picked last alongside with the little raven. None of the other kids knew how well he could play. No one wanted to risk choosing the newbie and losing.

So when the little blonde with the strange magenta eyes stepped up to the plate, pointed out into the field and declared in a brave voice "This ball is gonna fly!", most kids just laughed and yelled back at him.

"Prove it!"

With a determined gleam in his eyes, and a confident smirk on his face, he beckoned the pitcher to throw him the ball.

And when his foot connected with the red rubber, the kids cried out with awe. They watched it fly through the air, soaring directly into right field.

The little brunet never saw it coming. His only warning was a "HEADS UP!" from the kicker. He followed the blonde's command, and met the ball face first.

The rest of the class laughed, mocking him for catching the ball with his face rather than his hands. Technically the new kid was struck out. But that didn't stop him from rushing over to help the kid who had taken him out of the game.

"Are you ok?" he asked frantically as he helped the boy sit up. The raven nodded, holding his face in his hands. Tears stung his eyes and his face felt bruised. But he still wore a big smile despite his crooked teeth and bloody nose.

"I caught it!" He exclaimed happily, "I finally caught it!"

The blonde kid grinned, plopping his hand heavily on the raven's head and ruffled his dusty, grass littered hair. "Yeah, you did it! Good job!"

That was the moment Psyche made his first friend in a boy named Delic.

From that moment on they were fast friends indeed. Attached at the hip and thicker than thieves, Psyche and Delic never strayed from the others' side. Middle school was no match for the pink eyed duo.

If the kids picked on Psyche, Delic was there to put them in their place with a well-aimed knuckle sandwich.

If Delic ever was threatened…

…well that never actually happened. Delic quickly rose up the popularity scale, his tiny best friend riding on his coat tails.

Psyche never could do much for the blonde teen that quickly grew to be taller, broader, and over all larger than the scrawny raven. But Psyche was ready to jump into any fight if Delic ever was in danger.

However, high school was a different story. It was a new territory, and they were at the bottom of the food chain again. To top it off, Delic and Psyche were put into separate classes. His body guard was gone. He was capsized at sea and was surrounded by sharks.

The popular kids bullied Psyche harder than before. And it only got worse when they deemed Psyche as "queer". After all, it wasn't "normal" for a boy to sit in another boy's lap, even if it was the lap of his best friend. Holding hands was a big "no-no". And don't even think about running and jumping onto your best friend's back and bite his ear when said best friend was being particularly teasing towards you.

Those actions that Psyche and Delic had seen as "not all that weird" was synonymous to Leprosy.

He tried to ignore the way students glared at him, talked behind his back, and kicked him while he was down - both figuratively and metaphorically.

He would hide the bruises the best he could. He didn't want to let Delic down. However, from the way he limped after their midterms were over, Delic knew that Psyche was being hurt again.

The blonde tracked down Psyche's assailants and proceeded to give them a taste of their own bitter medicine. He was put in detention for a month for beating up five upperclassmen. Psyche visited him every day and helped him, hiding from the teachers as they passed to check on Delic to make sure he was doing his work.

One night during detention, Psyche gained the courage to ask Delic on his opinion about his "queer" reputation.

He sat on one of the desks, kicking his feet as Delic washed down the chalk boards and beat the erasers. The raven stared at the floor, trying to figure out how to word his question. He was scared for some reason. He knew Delic wouldn't toss him aside…yet…

"Alright, what is it?" Delic chuckled, dropping the eraser onto the teacher's desk as he glanced over his shoulder towards the silent raven. "Normally you cant stop talking but you've been quiet this entire time!" He clapped his hands, shaking off the dust that coated his palms as he walked over to bend down in front of Psyche.

The brunet squeaked, his cheeks turning pink. "Ahh..I..I'm…just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"S-stuff!" Psyche replied, locking his eyes on the matching pair that looked up at him with concern.

"If those kids are picking on you again-"

"No, it's not that! It's just…" he trailed off, his confidence failing the teenager once again. "…I think they might be right…about some things."

Delic quirked a brow, head tilting slightly as he maintained a steady gaze upon Psyche. "Some things?"

Psyche nodded quickly, his face burning brighter. The response caused Delic to sigh as he stood up only to sit back down in the desk beside the nervous raven. "Listen. Whatever "things" you think they're right about, don't listen to them. Because there isn't anything wrong with you, got it?"

The raven nodded again, twiddling his thumbs in small circles, "It's just…that whole..."queer" thing…"

"Who cares? They should get their noses out of your business." Delic grumbled before sighing with exasperation. "If you like dick, why should that bother them?"The blond shrugged, rolling his eyes as if this conversation was entirely unnecessary and that Psyche really was just being silly.

"D-DELIC! N-not so loud!" Psyche cried as he leaned over to cover the blond's mouth with his hands, looking around frantically to make sure no one heard. Delic lifted Psyche's hand off his mouth easily, his strength once again no match for the weak brunet.

"It's no big secret that you've got... ah, how do I say this... a hankering for some meat, if you know what I mean."

Psyche squeaked.

"So instead of trying to hide it, just embrace it. Like I said, who really gives a damn? Those airheads that pick on you? Who cares what they think?" Delic rested his finger under Psyche's chin, lifting it so that the skiddish, magenta eyed boy would look him in the face. "Who cares?"

"D-Do you care?" Psyche replied back, shivering slightly while his ears turned pink. Delic shook his head, moving his hand to comfortingly ruffle Psyche's black mop of hair.

"I don't care at all."

Psyche smiled up at him, relieved that his best friend wasn't ashamed of having a gay friend.

But it wasn't until a year later that the raven learned just how ok Delic was with it.


	2. Leaving the Friendzone

Every day they got into the habit of waking up early to go to the park before the sun rose. They would meet inside the barrels, shivering as the brisk morning air chilled them. From there they would huddle inside, finish any homework, vent about their life problems, and enjoy their time together before having to walk to school.

However, during this one particular and slightly muggy spring morning, Delic was already lounging in the tunnel, grumbling to himself as Psyche crawled in.

"Morning!"

"Mmm…"

Psyche scooted over, squeezing himself into the spot between Delic and the curved wall. He looked down on the forlorn blond who was scowling up at the graffiti covered ceiling. "What's wrong?"

"Parents are being pricks again."

Psyche frowned at that statement. He knew that Delic's parents were always tough on him; 'do well in school, participate in as many activities as you could, get a girlfriend'etc etc. Not to mention they were constantly fighting amongst themselves on top of all this. The raven had lost count the number of times he had spent the night at Delics only to wake up hearing them screaming and breaking things.

"Need to talk about it?" Psyche murmured, laying down next to Delic - or rather- half laying on him.

Delic wasted no time after that. He burst into his rant full throttle and Psyche admired that about the blond. He was never afraid to speak his mind.

"They were fighting over finances again. Started yelling at me to get a job and start helping with the bills. I don't know what they expect in me. It's not like I can get a job whenever I want. Have you seen this economy? It's so damn hard to get a decent paying job. And it's not like it'd help much with the bills anyways. Mom has her crazy credit card bills since she can't stop shopping, and dad gambles like there's no tomorrow!" he ranted, his voice getting louder as the problems grew worse.

Psyche did the best that he could to try and console him. It got harder every time they had these talks. More drama kept piling up on Delic's shoulders, and Psyche was scared his best friend would soon break under the pressure.

"M-maybe they'll see their mistakes and -"

"They're getting a divorce."

Psyche's stomach flipped at those words. He stared down at the blond with shock. Divorced? They were…

"Delic…"

The blond shrugged, gritting his teeth with anger. "Tch, it's not like I have any say in the matter. It's their vows they're breaking. Not my problem."

But it was his problem. He was going to have to choose who to live with. He'd be separated from his brothers. He might have to transfer…

…he might leave Psyche.

Psyche shivered at the idea, shaking it from his mind. No, Delic wouldn't leave him.

"What are you gonna do?"

"No idea." Delic sighed, closing his angst filled eyes. "Well…whichever one decides to stay in this house I know I'll be staying with."

"Don't you want to choose? Why stay in one place?"

"I don't have a real preference over who I stay with. Both are idiots anyways." Delic looked up at Psyche with a small smile, "Besides, I don't want to leave my best friend behind. He's not too good at protecting himself."

Psyche smiled back, and for the first time in his life he realized how…wonderful Delic really was. He was always looking out for him, and was always making him happy. And for once, he wanted to make Delic happy. He had such a hard life…it just wasn't fair.

So he acted without even thinking. The raven bent down, softly pressing his lips against the other's and taking Delic completely by surprise. The pressure was gentle, kind, even innocent almost - if that could even be considered a proper term to use to describe a kiss.

But as quick as he had done it, Psyche pulled away, his eyes wide with fearful realization. A bright blush formed on his cheeks as he stammered, "I-I'm sorry! I..I don't know what c-came o-ooh!"

His voice caught in his throat as Delic's fists gripped the raven's shirt and pulled him down roughly to connect their mouths once again. It was sloppy and fast, yet tender and warm.

It was as if they were finding comfort in each other's lips.

And although it was certainly not Delic's first kiss, it was still Psyche's. It was nothing like he had expected. But at the same time it was still…perfect.

Delic's arms gently wrapped around Psyche's waist, pulling him flush against him while their mouths moved and worked against each other. Psyche's hands rested on the blond's broad shoulders, gently kneading at them as Delic's thumb drew small circles in Psyche's back.

Tentatively, they parted their mouths, letting the kiss grow deeper. Delic's tongue slipped into Psyche's mouth, earning a surprised gasp as the slick muscle brushed against the others. Psyche softly mewled, gripping Delic's shoulders tighter when the blond's hands roamed down to rest on his hips.

The shrill ringing of Psyche's alarm broke the silence, causing them to jerk and pull away nervously.

Cheeks flushed, eyes half lidded, and mouths parted. They stared at each other, both slightly confused…and pleased at the turn of events.

"W-we should…"

"…Get going."

They hesitated, unsure of how to move until Psyche finally moved first by pushing himself up to scoot backwards off of Delic who slid out from underneath. They fixed their slightly disheveled hair and straightened out their uniforms before scrambling out to walk to school.

The entire way, they didn't speak of what had happened. There was no reason to talk about it. They both knew why they had done it so they felt as though there was no need to talk about an event that wouldn't repeat.

That was the plan at least.

Because they certainly weren't expecting it to happen once more three weeks later when Psyche's mom was admitted to the hospital when she passed out at work. Psyche had been a broken mess, terrified that something was terribly wrong with his mother. The Doctors had tried to assure him that she just over worked herself, and she even told him in person that he didn't need to worry about anything except forgetting to eat…

But still, he ran to Delic's house for comfort, flinging himself into his friend's arms even as the door was still opening. Said friend stumbled back, trying to regain his balance after a 130 pound teenager thrust himself into his grasp.

"Wh-whoa now Psyche, easy does it." He cooed, chuckling slightly. Although his joking tone dissipated as soon as he heard Psyche's soft sobs into his chest. "What's wrong?"

"M-mom passed out at work today! And she's in the hospital and I'm really scared for her and I don't wanna be alone!" Psyche cried, clinging to Delic with what little strength he possessed.

Delic lifted Psyche up easily, scooping him bridal style and holding him close, "Alright, calm down. She'll be ok. Your mom is a strong - and dare I say, beautiful and charming - woman."

He earned a smack from Psyche for that comment. He chuckled, taking the raven into his room to lay him on the bed.

"Everything will be ok," Delic assured, softly brushing back Psyche's hair, "And you can stay the night if you have to. Dad's 'working', which means he's probably at the clubs looking for someone to pick up. It's just you and me, alright?"

He nodded, leaning into Delic's hand. "You won't leave me?"

"Never." Delic reached down to brush away the tears from Psyche's face, "Now, let's stop crying. I don't like seeing such a pretty face ruined by tears."

Psyche felt his face turn pink a bit, and there was a strange pull inside of him that made him want the same comfort he had felt in the tunnel.

"Delic…"

"Hmm?"

"Remember…in the tunnels…"

Delic quirked a brow, "What about it?"

Psyche's pink gaze flickered down to the ground and he bit his lip slightly. He felt shy to even ask of something like that. He shared everything with Delic, all of his thoughts and feelings but this…was this going too far?

The blond wasn't thick headed however and despite his silence Delic could tell what Psyche was asking from him by reading his body language. He leaned over the smaller male, using his hand to lift Psyche's chin gently while he brushed his lips against the brunet's.

He pulled away for a moment, eyes fixating on the blissful expression on Psyche's features. He brought their lips together again, this time lingering a moment longer before separating. He repeated this process, their kisses growing longer and firmer. Soon, Psyche was pulling Delic on top of him and holding him desperately as their mouths assaulted each other.

Soft pants and groans filled the room. Their skin grew hotter as they rolled around in the bed, entangling their limbs as their make out session grew steamier with each passing second.

Delic pinned Psyche to the bed, pulling away to gasp for air. He looked down at his best friend, soaking in the image of his tousled hair, swollen lips, and red face. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. But the part of Psyche the blond had noticed the most was the slight bulge in his jeans.

"Heh…turned on by this?" he asked, chuckling lightly. Psyche whined, turning his head away with embarrassment. He wasn't supposed to be getting horny by his friend. But Delic didn't seem to mind, and merely ducked his head low to breathe over Psyche's ear, "Do you trust me, Psy-kun~?"

A shiver ran down the raven's spine as he nodded his head. Delic flicked his tongue over the shell of Psyche's ear, earning a shaky moan from the smaller man.

That sound…it made Delic react in ways he never would have expected. He continued to roll his tongue along the outer rim of Psyche's ear, nibbling on the edge before moving down to suck on the lobe. Psyche was writhing and mewling beneath him, his body begging for more despite trying to keep quiet.

It felt so good…so ridiculously good. He couldn't hold back the soft gasps and whimpers that bubbled past his lips. His back arched into Delic's hands as they ran along Psyche's body, slipping up under his shirt to softly brush against his skin. The raven whined lowly, his hands reaching up to cling to Delic's shoulders.

"Psyche."

"H-Haaah…y-yes?"

"It's just us tonight. I can show you what other kids your age are doing." he murmured, moving down to lick and nip at Psyche's neck. "You just have to let me know if you're alright with that."

Psyche's breath hitched as he nodded, drunk on the pleasure and heat of the moment. Delic bit down, sucking hard on his neck. The little raven cried out at the feeling, squirming underneath Delic's grasp.

Delic pulled away and looked at the flaring red mark on the brunet's neck. He smirked at his work and moved down to start kissing a trail down Psyche's chest, pausing to flick his tongue against one of his nipples. Psyche yelped, covering his mouth with his hand when Delic sucked on the pert nub and rolled his tongue along the areola. Psyche gasped, panting harshly as tiny, strained whines and moans forced their way out. He turned his face away to bury it in the pillow, trying to drown out the desperate cries for more while Delic tugged gently with his teeth.

Pink eyes flickered up as Delic he moved lower to give butterfly kisses on Psyche's flat belly, watching Psyche's body rise and fall with his ministrations. There was no doubt in Delic's mind that Psyche was a virgin. It was obvious with his body language that this was his first time ever going this far - and he was enjoying every minute of it.

When his lips brushed against the hem of Psyche's jeans, the raven whimpered softly. The tent in his pants was uncomfortable and all Psyche wanted was to get them off. Delic chuckled, quickly unbuttoning and pulling them - and his underwear - down.

Already erect and budding with precum, Psyche's cock stood proudly in front of Delic. The image made his stomach flip and blood rush to his groin. Who would have thought that his best friend would turn him on so much?

"D-Delic…" Psyche mewled, hands gripping the bed sheets. The pressure building up was too intense. Psyche wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. It felt so good, he never wanted to stop. But he couldn't hold out much longer… "O-ohh…D-Delic…"

Taking the initiative, Delic ducked down to broadly flatten his tongue against the base of Psyche's erection, dragging it up the shaft to the tip. Slowly, he rolled his tongue around the head, nibbling softly at the sensitive underside.

The feeling of that wet and skillful tongue on his cock made Psyche moan loudly. The sound echoed in Delic's ears, and he was sure if anyone was home they would have heard. Who knew the shy yet outgoing kid was so…naturally loud?

He moved back down, flicking his tongue against Psyche's balls before softly sucking them. The brunet bucked his hips and groaned lewdly at the sensation. The blond continued by licking Psyche's perineum, earning a choked gasp. He watched Psyche's cock twitch, practically bloated and ready to release.

Like the average virgin, Psyche had zero stamina. Delic barely took Psyche's erection into his mouth and bobbed his head up and down once before the tiny raven came. But it wasn't as though he had been expecting Psyche to last long, and Delic was already drinking up the juices that flowed from Psyche's cock while he rode out his orgasm.

Psyche's mind was spinning and his body felt like it was struck by lightning. Every inch of his body was hypersensitive, and he thought that he was going to pass out from the over stimulation.

He mewled softly when Delic's lips pulled away with a soft _pop!_ The blond smirked, licking his lips as he crawled to hover over the scrawny male. "Feel good?"

Psyche nodded, panting softly. Delic smiled and bent his head down to softly brush his lips against Psyche's.

"I'm…I'm sorry I came too soon…"

Delic blinked at the response before chuckling and kissing Psyche's hairline, "Don't be sorry. It was your first, right? You don't have to be a pro your first time."

"Is..is this your first?" Psyche asked breathlessly.

"No."

Psyche wasn't expecting this to be his best friends first time. "No wonder it felt so good…" he murmured before closing his weary eyes.

Delic placed delicate kisses on the Psyche's eyelids and pulled the covers over him to tuck him in for the night. "I won't do so much foreplay next time…" he murmured quietly, running his fingers through Psyche's soft black tresses.


	3. Love is a Bitter Emotion

The blond was true to his word. The next time Psyche went to him, struggling to find some sort of escape from life, Delic skipped half the foreplay. He was faster - more desperate to help.

The next time it was more passionate, more teasing and playful while still being a good break from their dizzying world. Their pace quickened and their stamina grew with each rendezvous.

It was becoming an escape, a way to flee from the real world and its drama and trouble. Divorce, illness, bullies, drugs, alcohol. Anytime they needed to get away they would find each other and just…fuck. Fuck until they were high off the feeling. Fuck until their problems went away. Fuck until…

…until something went right in their lives.

During the second semester of junior year, Delic met a girl in his class. She was pretty - not gorgeous like some of the young models that roamed the halls, but still naturally beautiful. She had a smile that made his stomach flip, and eyes that he felt drawn to. And her laugh was music to his ears.

He started to spend more time with her, getting to know every detail about her life. They warmed up to each other quickly, and soon Delic was relaying every word they ever said to Psyche. He told the raven about her personality, her likes and dislikes, her plans for the future. For a long time, that was all Delic wanted to talk about.

"Why not just ask her out?" Psyche asked finally. He glanced up to watch Delic's face turn red before he grinned.

"You know, for someone like myself that shouldn't be such a hard thing to do." Delic laughed, brushing off his split second of blushing. "However with her…with her it's a bit harder."

"Why is that?"

Delic frowned slightly, his expression turning more serious. "I'm not the type to hurt others over a single person."

Psyche's heart swelled slightly, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Well…we aren't like…a thing, you know?" The raven said with a boyish grin that Delic had grown used to seeing plastered on his face. "Just cause we've done it more than once doesn't mean we have to date."

"I know that. But I still can't help but worry. You're a sensitive little thing." The blond smirked, "I don't want you missing me while I'm preoccupied~" Delic teased, shoving Psyche's shoulder so he flopped over into the grass. The brunet laughed, rolling onto his back to look up at Delic.

"Don't let me hold you back from true love!"

"But what about…you know…getting away from it all?"

Psyche shrugged, "I can handle breaking this off. If I get desperate, I can try and find myself someone to love."

"Are you sure?" Delic said with a slightly worried expression. Psyche wasn't used to seeing it often.

Psyche sat up, his hands pushing into the soft dirt underneath him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Delic adverted his gaze, his pink eyes staring at the sunset. "You're…exclusive. Your tastes are a bit harder to come by."

Oh. Psyche pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them tightly. "I can manage." He knew that finding guys who would be willing to do what Delic had done would be hard. Finding a boyfriend might be even harder. "Besides, if I get super desperate, I can always find some nice girl to fool around with."

"Are you sure? The idea of screwing a woman always made you queasy."

Psyche flushed, "Shut up." He pushed his elbow against Delic, barely knocking him off balance, but enough to make the blond laugh at the attempt. "Just go and ask her out already!"

"Ok ok! So bossy you've become!"

At first, Delic and his new girlfriend were the talk of the school. Psyche was glad to see Delic so happy. And although he had to give up his fuck buddy, he didn't mind. He also found a boy a grade higher who was willing to fool around from time to time.

Although he wasn't as good as Delic in Psyche's opinion, he was open to trying things and was willing to go as slow or as fast as Psyche wanted. He felt like someone cared for him other than his best friend. Life was good.

Though this perfect scene didn't last as long and either of them would have liked.

That year, Psyche's part time lover graduated and went abroad to study. Psyche pushed away the creeping feeling of loneliness by pretending that he hadn't grown slightly attached to the kind young man.

Things didn't get much better on Delic's end either.

Late one balmy summer night, Psyche woke up to rocks being thrown at his window. He blearily peeked through the blinds, struggling to see the shadow of the blond outside. He unlocked the window, lifting it up to lean out.

"Delic? It's two in the morning…"

"Let me in."

"What?"

"I said let me in!"

Psyche jumped slightly, pressing his finger to his mouth, "Shhh! Mom's asleep!" He could hear Delic's irritated growl from below as he shut the window and hurried over to open the door.

The moment the front door opened, Delic was on Psyche like a magnet. Their mouth clashed together, frantic and distressed. It was deep and passionate and took Psyche's breath away.

Delic grabbed Psyche's waist, pulling their hips together. Hands cupping Psyche's ass, he lifted him so the raven's thin legs wrapped around his waist. The stumbled back to the bedroom, door shutting behind them as they sloppy nipped and sucked at each other.

He dropped Psyche onto the bed, climbing on top of him as he slid his hands under the thin cotton pajama shirt. Delic's warm hands on Psyche's skin made him shiver, moaning softly into the kiss. It stirred a familiar feeling in his abdomen that made him freeze.

Why is he here? Why was this happening? Delic had a-

"S-stop!" Psyche gasped, breaking away. He panted as Delic glared down at him, his magenta eyes glowing in the darkness. "Delic, we can't do this!"

"Why the hell not?" he grumbled, voice low as his hands continued to hike up Psyche's shirt.

"B-because you have a girlfriend!"

The blond froze, his gaze wavering slightly. A hint of sadness washed over his expression. He ducked his head down, shutting his eyes tightly. Psyche peered up silently, seeing those normally kind and playful eyes brimming with tears.

"Delic…"

"Don't fall in love…" he croaked, resting his head on Psyche's shoulder as his grip tightened in the bed sheets. "It's overrated…"

The raven didn't need to hear another word. He wrapped his arms around Delic, pulling him close to hug him securely. He felt the blonds' shoulders quake, struggling to maintain his composure as his heart shattered inside.

Psyche never did learn of what happened. Delic kept that part of his past hidden from everyone. Only the blond knew how that temptress of a woman wooed him and wrapped him around her finger. Only he knew how she made love to him, swearing she'd love him forever before dropping him like garbage when she met someone better. No one would ever know how broken he truly became inside. Not even Psyche could heal him.


	4. Master Plan

By the time senior year began, rumors began to spread. Delic was no longer taken. He was single and ready to be shared with the rest of the graduating class. People began to hear that Delic was a good lay and was willing to have sex with pretty much anyone. With the way he flirted with the ladies, and sometimes fooled around with the guys, it seemed plausible.

Only Psyche and Delic knew the truth: Delic hadn't had a one night stand with anyone else in a long time. He hadn't even been with Psyche. After coming to him late that one night, they had decided Delic needed time to get over her before trying to find another relationship.

However, Delic was becoming more popular with the ladies. They would come up to him, wearing skin tight clothes and drenched in sickly sweet perfume that made anyone's head dizzy. How Delic managed to breathe near them was a mystery.

He eventually crumbled, giving into the temptation. Besides, the best way to erase her image and touch from his mind was to replace it with another beautiful woman.

From then on, Delic was "booked" every weekend. Psyche hardly saw Delic anymore. He was constantly surrounded by women. He was becoming more of a player.

Sometimes, Psyche would try and call him to hang out, but he'd be off on a one-night stand, finding release and safety in others.

It didn't take long before the anxiety starts gnawing away at the young raven. He couldn't be alone. Without Delic…he didn't know what to do with himself. For the first time in a long time, he didn't have his life vest to save him. He was drowning in solitude.

He became desperate for affection.

This lonely world was suffocating him. He needed to breathe. He needed something fresh and new to spark his life just enough to keep him feeling alive.

He was still afraid of his reputation of being gay. Although he personally was ok with it, he was afraid of how others would look at him. So in the beginning, he tried to ask the girls out. The few that agreed weren't that good in his opinion. No one was really better than Delic. And he was often confused on how to even fuck a girl.

As one would expect, it didn't take long before the word spread that he was bad in bed. No girl wanted him. He had no where to go. He often wondered if Delic knew of the rumor. He couldn't contact him - his phone constantly busy or his inbox full.

The raven felt utterly alone.

The first time a guy came up to Psyche, he was taken by surprise. A guy wanted to…service him? He was wary…unsure of what this meant. But he had nothing to lose at this point.

It was different. Rough, uncaring, and slightly painful. It wasn't anything like Delic at all. It wasn't at all like that kind man who had kept him company when Delic was dating. It didn't give him the same comfort and ease he needed to get by.

However, it was all that he was offered. Beggars can't be choosers.

Psyche became no better than the whores in school. He wasn't suave enough to brush it off or act like the rumors and accusations weren't true. He became well known around the school as "an easy lay". Horny teens went to him for the same reason he first started.

Everyone needed some way to let loose.

New Years came around the corner, and Psyche received a call from his best friend. He was free for the weekend - the first time in a long time it seemed - and he wanted to hang out.

That day Psyche walked up to the familiar apartment anxiously. Despite how long he had visited Delic and spent time in this building, he still felt like he was walking into a strangers home. It had been so long…what would he say?

He tentatively knocked on the door, waiting quietly for Delic to answer. Surprisingly, his father opened the door.

Mr. Heiwajima was somewhat of a military man. He hadn't fought in any wars, but his disposition would make one think otherwise. He had dull brown eyes and peppered hair that was cut short. Crows feet tugged at the corners of his eyes, and he brows were almost always knit together.

The look on his face was nothing but skeptical as he stared at the young raven on his doorstep. He looked at Psyche as if expecting someone completely different. Though his features softened slightly upon recognizing him.

"Psyche, long time no see."

"It's a pleasure to see you again Mr. Heiwajima," he said with a slight bow. "Is Delic home?"

"Yeah, he's home."

Psyche shifted on his feet slightly, "Um…can I see him?"

"No."

"What? Why not? Is he ill?"

"He's forbidden to have any company over." Mr. Heiwajima said stiffly. It shocked Psyche slightly. Why would Delic call if…

"Now you're not trusting Psyche either?" Delic said bitterly as he walked down the stairs to greet his best friend. He shrugged nonchalantly, "I would have thought you'd let me at least see my best friend." His father turned, narrowing his eyes.

"I've told you to stay in your room."

"I'm eighteen, I can leave my room whenever I want."

Mr. Heiwajima's face turned redder, "You will obey my rules!"

"Once again, eighteen. I'm an adult and don't need to follow your rules."

"You do when you live under my roof!"

Psyche's gaze flickered back and forth between Delic and his father. They glared daggers at each other, obviously having a silent battle between themselves. Delic pushed past his father, grabbing Psyche's wrist and pulling him inside.

"Where do you think you're going?" his father barked as Delic lead Psyche up to his room.

"My bedroom! And no, we're not going to fuck or anything like that so you can just calm down!" Delic growled back, taking Psyche into his room and slamming the door loudly.

Psyche was frozen, face bright red with embarrassment and nervousness. He looked Delic who began to pace his room, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.

"Delic…what's…."

"He found out about my affairs," he grumbled bitterly. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked the wall, leaving a small dent in the plaster. "Found me on top of some chick and practically threw her out of the house and locked me in my room. Tch…asshole."

Psyche frowned, sitting on the edge of the bed to watch Delic pace. "So…you're grounded?"

"Hah. More like on prison lock down. I haven't had a free moment to myself without him breathing down my neck."

Delic sat heavily on the bed next to Psyche, falling back onto the bed with a sigh. Psyche ran his thin fingers through Delic's soft blond bangs. The soothing gesture was just what Delic needed to cool his jets and relax.

Footsteps passed by the door, pausing as if listening in on what was happening behind closed doors. Two pairs of pink eyes flickered to peer under the crack of the door. The shadow lingered there for a moment before walking away again. Psyche let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Delic also seemed to relax a bit when his father left.

"I don't know what to do…" he murmured quietly, his voice sounding strained and exhausted. Psyche had no idea how long this had been going on.

A small idea formed in Psyche's mind. He lay down beside Delic, resting his head against the blond's shoulder as he thought harder.

His plan was insane. Yet…they had no real other choice. And maybe, just maybe, they would get lucky and pull it off.

No. Psyche was certain they could do it.

"Delic…"

"Hmm?"

"Let's run away."

Delic blinked, turning to look over at Psyche who stared back up at him quietly. "Run away?"

"Yeah…" Psyche said in a hushed tone, "Lets just…run far away from here. The two of us. We could do it."

Delic laughed shortly, "You're crazy."

"I'm not crazy!" Psyche said a bit louder, sitting up to look down on his friend, "We don't have any purpose here!"

"Your mom-"

"Too sick to stay home."

Delic sat up, his brow furrowing with worry, "Too sick? What's wrong? Last time I saw her she was doing better…"

Psyche's zealous gaze clouded over, losing their cheerful luster. "She had a relapse…"

The young host wrapped his arm around his friend, holding him close, "How bad was it this time?"

"She forgot where she was again…she started…" Psyche broke off, unable to speak. Delic understood however. Psyche didn't need to speak for him to develop the image himself- the young mother rapidly forgetting a part of her past; screaming and yelling that she needed to get back to her "baby boy", fighting her co-workers as they tried to tell her that Psyche wasn't a baby anymore. But in her mind, in those frightening moments, she was a mother out of high school again, struggling to survive and raise a young boy who could barely tie his shoes.

"…She's going into a nursing home now."

"That's probably best for her. They can take care of her there." Delic cooed softly, seeing the pain flickering on Psyche's face.

"That's why we need to run, Delic." Psyche said stiffly, his voice filled with determination, "I can't afford to live in that apartment by myself. Even with mom and I working part time jobs, we could barely keep up with bills." The raven's face seemed to darken slightly, "And if that happens, I'll be forced to move in with my aunt and cousin in Kabukicho."

Delic couldn't help but smile slightly, "Can't stand him, huh?" Psyche nodded curtly. It was no surprise that Psyche didn't get along well with his older cousin.

Psyche grabbed Delic's hands, holding them tightly as he stared into his eyes intensely, "But together, we could do it! You can't possibly want to keep living in this place."

"What about school? We can't just drop out you know. We'll have no future."

Psyche knew that Delic was right…but… "We've gotta try…We can find part time jobs to support ourselves."

Delic narrowed his eyes warily, "And what will our parents think? Sure, my dad wouldn't care if I just disappeared without a trace. But my mom will hear, and she'll flip her lid." Delic took hold of Psyche's shoulders firmly, trying to force some sense into him. "What about your mom? She'll miss you if you're gone."

"I know mom will be safe at the nursing home. She won't need me…and she'll eventually forget about me anyways."

Delic hated the way Psyche's voice sounded so broken. It was an inevitable fate - Psyche's mother would eventually forget every detail of her life before forgetting how to even eat or breathe. Delic knew Psyche couldn't live with that - his only chance of living was to get away.

And it wasn't like Delic had a perfect life that would keep him tied down.

"Alright."

Shock spread on Psyche's features, "Yeah?" Delic nodded, causing a big grin to form on Psyche's face.

"Yeah, we can do it."

The raven threw his arms around Delic's shoulders, hugging him tightly. Delic chuckled and fell back onto the bed, holding the smaller man close to him.


	5. On The Run

They planned to leave Ikebukuro once Psyche's mom was admitted to the nursing home. The night she was settled in, Psyche stayed until she was comfortable.

Psyche sat on the bed, crossing his legs as he watched his mother putz around her new bedroom. She was always restless, wanting to be busy with something. "Are you going to be alright here?" he asked as she ironed her clothes before folding them and putting them away.

"Am I going to be alright?" His mom asked with a hearty chuckle, "Look at this place! This is the high life compare to our little apartment. And they even feed you! No more groceries for me!" Psyche couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. When she was like this - not burdened by her mental illness - it was easy to forget the hardships in their life.

She set her iron down, moving to sit on the bed next to Psyche, "I'm more worried about you, baby. Are you sure you'll be ok living alone? If you need to, you can live with your cousin Ro-"

"I already have plans."

Psyche's mother paused, smiling sweetly at him, "You have plans?"

He nodded, peering up at her nervously.

"Wanna tell me what your plans are?"

He sighed, nodding again. "Well…Delic and I are gonna travel Tokyo. Together we have enough money to survive. We can get a small apartment in a small town and work. And we're…we're leaving tomorrow."

He was nervous that his mother wouldn't approve. But the smile never faded from her face, and her eyes only seemed to grow more tender.

"I'm so proud of you baby."

"W-what?"

She pulled him into her lap, holding him tightly, "I'm so happy you're going out on your own. Delic will take good care of you, and I know this is going to be a great experience for you."

"So you're…ok with this?"

"I couldn't be happier for you."

The way she looked at him, Psyche saw another meaning in her eyes. She knew about him, about Delic, about everything. Despite her terrible memory, she understood.

Psyche's eyes started to tear up, relief swelling up in him. He buried his face into his mom's shoulder. She rubbed his back gently, kissing the top of his head. When it was time for him to leave, he gave her a kiss goodnight and promised he'd visit her every chance he could.

"I love you, Psyche."

"I love you too, mom."

Psyche hurried home, trying to push away the emotions that wanted to tie him in this city. He couldn't back down now. He ran home, packed his bags, collected what little money he had, and met Delic in the tunnels in the park.

He crawled inside, seeing the familiar blond smoking a cigarette. He blew the smoke out, watching it swirl into the breeze before turning to face Psyche.

"Ready?"

"Did you tell your dad?"

Delic laughed, "He would have cuffed me to the railing if I did. He has no idea where I am." Psyche smiled a little, glad to see Delic's rebellious side again. "How'd your mom take it?"

"She's cheering us on."

"Glad to know someone is."

The two went over their supplies again, making sure they didn't forget anything. A pillow and blanket for them to share, a good amount of money that would help them start out. Two duffel bags - one for each - filled with clothes, pajamas and toiletries. They only brought the bare necessities.

After going over their bags they clambered out, Delic taking their luggage easily - his strength coming in handy for something other than pleasing women. Psyche walked beside him as Delic led them to their first destination: Shinjuku.

"What's in Shinjuku?" Psyche asked as they crossed into the prefecture. It was too close to home for Psyche's tastes. He was certain they wouldn't be here long though.

"Just a quick stop before we really hit the road." Delic said with a confident grin. He led them through the quiet streets - the city mostly empty in the dead of night. When they finally found the building Delic was searching for, they knocked on the door and waited.

"Who lives here?" Psyche asked quietly, feeling like if he spoke up too much, he'd wake the entire city.

"Someone I'm sure you've missed."

They heard shuffling behind the door and heard a muffled, "Who is it?" from the other side.

"It's Delic and Psyche," the blond sighed. Several clicks and snaps were heard - the sound of locks and chains opening.

The front door opened to reveal a beautiful young woman - looking no older than thirty - with wavy light brown hair streaked with blonde highlights. The soft lighting in the hall behind her illuminated her flawless skin and lit up her face, revealing glossy and full lips, perfectly applied make up (despite how late it was), and wide pink eyes. And if it wasn't for Psyche's modesty and politeness, he would have probably noticed that she was only wearing a see through negligee and frilled lingerie. Delic of course noticed this and seemed to pale in complexion.

"Boys!" the woman exclaimed with surprise, opening her arms to pull them both into a hug. Delic nearly cringed at the gesture, but leaned into it regardless.

"Hello, mother..."

"Mrs. Heiwajima!" Psyche said happily as he eagerly accepted her embrace. It had been a long time since he saw Delic's mother, and Delic was right - he did miss her a lot. She was always so kind to them, if not a tad eccentric.

"I am no longer Mrs. Heiwajima, Psyche. You can simply call me Miyuki. But what do you think you two are doing out in the cold? Get your butts in here and grab a snack!" she said sternly with a hint of playfulness in her voice. Delic nodded and brushed past her to move inside, dropping their bags on the floor. As Psyche walked inside, she closed the door behind them and triple locked it.

"You can never be too careful!" She said cheerily.

"How are you, ma'am?" Psyche asked happily as he stood beside Delic. He was glancing around the apartment, seemingly preoccupied.

"I'm doing quite well for a single woman! Sure I have to work again, but that's no big issue. I'm capable of rolling up my sleeves and doing some dirty work!"

"You work as a cashier at a department store." Delic mumbled under his breath. Although he favored his mother slightly due to her lack of discipline, he still would rather not be around her. She brushed off the comment with the wave of her hand.

"It's quite a hectic job! You have never seen a store filled with crazed women in need of their half-priced heels!"

Shopping had always been a center point in her life. Without shopping, she'd probably only be half the woman she was today.

"But enough about me, lets talk about you!" She exclaimed as she grabbed Psyche by the shoulders and looked at him critically. "You have grown up so much since the last time I saw you! You've hit your growth spurt, haven't you?"

Psyche smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly. "I..I have gained a few inches since I last saw you." He was still not nearly as tall as Delic.

"And so handsome! You have really matured!" She pinched his cheek, using it to turn his head from side to side so she could get a good look at him. "What a round face you have! And beautiful eyes! Not many people are as blessed as us to have this magnificent hue!"

"Ahh…t-thank you Mrs…Miyuki." Psyche said sheepishly, feeling his cheeks flare at the compliments.

"I wouldn't be surprised if all the young ladies were swooning over you by now! You are quite a looker!"

"Thank you…"

"And I'm sure you've gotten bigger in other places as well~!"

"Mother, that's enough. You're going to traumatize him." Delic barked, feeling the awkward tension growing between the three of them. Miyuki rolled her eyes, smiling warmly.

"Delic, that's no way to talk to your mother. And besides, I'm only telling the truth. If I was your age, I would be all over him in a second!"

"You would be all over him no matter what age you were."

A devious grin grew on her face as she glanced over at her son, "Are you suggesting that I do?"

"Hardly."

"Um…D-Delic…?"

The blond stepped forward, sweeping Psyche from his mother's grasp, and led him to the kitchen. "We're only here for the night. In the morning we'll leave first thing."

"Where are you boys heading off to so suddenly?" Miyuki asked, following them to brew them a cup of tea.

"Anywhere but here."

"On an adventure, hmm? How much money do you have on you?"

"About 73,000 yen." Delic was mostly estimating. He knew he easily saved up over half of that amount. Psyche had more trouble finding enough money to support himself.

"That's not enough to sustain you for more than a month. Maybe if it were just one of you, but not both of you. And if you don't manage to find a job you'll be on the streets." Miyuki said with a frown.

"We'll be fine. We're not seven. We'll manage."

Delic's mother made a sound of dissatisfaction, but didn't mention the money situation any more. She handed them cups of tea and a box of lemon cookies. "Here's a small snack for the night. You two can sleep in the guest bedroom. I'm sure you two won't mind sharing."

Delic bristled at the comment. The remark flew over Psyche's head.

"Will you need anything else before your trip?"

The blond shook his head, "We should be good from here on out." He stood up, pushing his chair back before reaching his hand to take Psyche's to lead him down the hall. "We're going to bed."

"Don't be too loud!"

Delic slammed the door shut to block out his mother's crude jokes. With a sigh, he fell onto the bed, staring up at the bleak ceiling above them. Psyche laid down beside him, the bed slightly too small for two people.

"Delic?"

"Yeah?"

"Your mom…"

"What about her?"

"Has she always been so…"

"Brazenly flirtatious?"

"..yeah…"

"Yeah, pretty much."

They glanced at each other, smiles growing on their faces as they broke into infectious laughter. They couldn't hold back the bubbling giddiness and relief that overwhelmed them.

Despite their shitty living situations, and the drama had dealt with, they finally felt free. Everything in the past seemed to be one giant terrible joke. Psyche's mother and her illness, Delic's overbearing father and whore of a mother. The kids at school who constantly picked on them and tried to bring them down. Even in the dark months when they weren't together. It all was behind them. It didn't matter anymore.

They were together now, and they were ready to take on the world.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Note: 73,000 yen is roughly $900 US Dollars. C: Also, this might be a good time to say thank you for all the comments! I'm glad that there are so many people interested in this little story i've had in the back of my head while writing YLB XD I hope you enjoy where I take it!<strong>_


	6. Fun and Games

They woke up early the next morning and left before Miyuki's alarm rang for work. They left a note explaining they were leaving and they would keep in touch in case she got worried. The two were out the door before the sun rose.

Delic had already figured out their plan of attack: head southeast and get as far from Tokyo as possible. He had suggested Nagasaki, which is the farthest they could possibly get, but Psyche said he'd prefer some place a bit closer to home. He still wanted to be able to visit his mother. That's when the two decided on Osaka.

With their current money situation, they decided taking a bus and enduring a long ride would be better than paying more. They made it to the bus stop an hour early and watched the sun rise as they waited. By the time the bus pulled up to the stop and opened it's doors, both were drowsy again.

Psyche yawned, shoving his luggage under the seat as Delic lifted his in the compartments above them. "You should rest." Delic murmured as Psyche leaned back into the somewhat comfortable chair.

"Are you gonna sleep too?" he murmured, his voice thick with grogginess. The blond nodded in response.

"After I make sure you're sleeping soundly."

He sat down beside the raven, pulling him close so the smaller of the two could rest his head on his shoulder. Psyche gave the single pillow they brought to Delic so he could rest his head on something soft.

Psyche pulled out a photograph of his mother from his bag under the seat, staring at it sadly. He was already missing her more than he'd imagined he would. He missed her warm hazel eyes, her loving smile, and the frazzled black hair that hinted at her mental state.

The blond wrapped the blanket around them tightly, comforting Psyche as he tried to not break down. He gently threaded his fingers through the raven's hair, coaxing him to fall asleep. Once he finally was resting, Delic felt he could close his own eyes and try to sleep, the vibrations of the train lulling him as it began to move toward their mystery destination.

It was almost noon when Psyche woke up, still held safely in Delic's arms. He rubbed his bleary eyes, staring out the window as the train zoomed past empty fields. It was exciting knowing that he and Delic were going on an adventure. Sure, they had left their families behind and dropped out of school with no warning. It didn't really matter, knowing they were together.

A half hour later, Psyche felt Delic stirring. He sat up, giving the blond room to stretch and wake up. He smiled down when those magenta eyes blinked up at him.

"Morning."

"M'rnin…" Delic yawned loudly, stretching and cracking his back. He rubbed his neck, rolling his shoulders a bit. "Any idea where we're at?"

Psyche shook his head, "No clue. It's been a few hours though. How long was it going to take?"

Delic grinned, "Eight hours. We're probably half way there."

"That's not too bad." Psyche said with a smile. Delic loved the way the raven always seemed so positive. He laughed when Psyche's stomach rumbled with hunger.

"Let's have breakfast. I threw in a few snacks before we left." He pulled his backpack down from the compartments above their seats and reached inside, feeling around for the packs of food he brought. Instead, he found a leather wallet that he knew didn't belong to him or Psyche. "What the…?"

He pulled it out and flipped it open. Stray bills fell out along with a folded up piece of paper. He flattened the creases and read it, scowling.

"What is it?"

"Mom gave us some extra money." Delic grumbled, handing the wallet and cash to Psyche.

"Wow! 40,000 yen! That's a lot!" Psyche said with amazement. "This will really help us with our first few months of rent, especially if we get a small single bedroom apartment."

Delic was hardly paying attention to Psyche as he read over his mother's chicken scratch writing.

_Delic,_

_The amount of money you said you had isn't nearly enough to get you by for very long. I gave you some more money to help you out. But don't spend it all at once! Use it wisely! Save!_

_Which means no alcohol or drugs! Maybe just a little bit of alcohol - a glass of wine every night if good for you heart. But no drugs! You're smarter than that!_

_Also, be sure to spoil Psyche a little. Buy him some candies while you travel. He has such a sweet tooth! He's such a cute kid. You made a good choice with him!_

_Just don't rough him up too much! Landlords don't really like when neighbors complain about being too loud in bed! Besides, he looks so fragile, he'd probably be a vanilla lover anyways. 3_

_Take care, have fun, stay safe, and use protection~!_

_Mom_

"Your mom left a note?"

Delic quickly crumpled the paper into a small ball, his face slightly flushed. "It's not important. Just her rambling again." He shoved the note into his pocket, taking the wallet to slip back into his backpack. "It was nice that she left extra money…she didn't really have to do that."

"We'll have to thank her when we go back to visit."

Delic grabbed a package of pocky and handed it to Psyche, knowing he'd enjoy the sugary breakfast over anything else. The raven happily ripped open the package, sharing it with Delic.

The blond gladly accepted the small chocolate covered biscuit, nibbling it as Psyche sucked on his thoughtfully.

"Hey Psyche, let's play a game."

The brunet already had in mind what game Delic was speaking of just by the sound of his voice. As kids when they played it, Psyche was always the one to break away first. When they were in high school, neither would flinch and it would often lead into a long night of sex.

Psyche pulled out another stick of pocky, placing it between his lips. He smirked when Delic pouted playfully.

"You gave yourself the chocolate side."

"Who cares, you'll taste it later."

Delic grinned and leaned forward to bite his end of the stick, "Ready?"

Psyche nodded.

The two began to slowly move closer to each other, both knowing that neither of them would pull away. The real game was when the stick was gone.

Just as expected, their lips met when the pocky was eaten away. The last remaining bit was stuck in Psyche's mouth, and Delic was determined to get it back and win.

His tongue slipped easily between his friend's lips. The slick muscle worked its way around, feeling for the biscuit that Psyche tried to keep away. Psyche mewled lightly when Delic's tongue flicked against his own.

The blond lifted up the arm rest between them, moving himself closer to Psyche. He pushed the brunet back against the window. Psyche wrapped his arms around Delic's shoulders, pulling him flush against his body. They groaned softly, loving the way their bodies easily fit together.

The pocky had already melted away by the time the two broke apart for air. Their game forgotten, they went back to making out, Delic hovering over Psyche. His hands were moving all over Psyche's body as their mouths continued to smack together feverishly.

A strained cough behind their seats caused them to pull away. The look on the woman's face caused them both to grin and murmur apologies. When she wasn't looking, the two burst into small fits of laughter.

"Looks like she didn't enjoy the show."

"I know I was enjoying it!"

The rest of their train ride was PG. The two finished their snacks appropriately and they spent the rest of their time doing what they loved best: listening to music. They composed short songs and sang along to Psyche's MP3 player. They discussed which genres of music they liked as kids and how it changed now. They reveled in their memories, focusing on all the fun times they had.

Four hours passed in no time, and soon the two were in Osaka, ready to start their new life. But first, they needed an apartment.

It was a struggle, finding one that they would afford without a contract too binding. They didn't plan on staying in Osaka for a long time. Luckily they found a place to stay by the end of that day. They had a roof over their head and some food to eat to last them for the week.

However, their apartment was bare. No built-in appliances, no extra space. Just a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Everything was scarce, and they would have to buy their own living necessities on their own.

They bought the cheapest they could find. A microwave, mini fridge, kettle, paper plates, and plastic cutlery were the only things that stayed in the kitchen. Their living room could hardly be called such. The only thing kept there were their duffel bags of clothes. And of course, their bedroom had a single blow up mattress, since they lacked a bed.

Psyche was certain living in a place like this would hinder his creativity and make his mood go south quickly. However, Delic made it a little brighter in their dingy home. Even after Delic managed to find a part time job as waiter for a local diner, Psyche discovered that life in Osaka wasn't all that bad.

He also tried to find a job, but he wasn't as qualified as Delic. His friend was more suave and had more work ethic. It was obvious he'd find a job easily. But Psyche just didn't seem to cut it.

Instead, he focused on his music. Their apartment did have wifi connection, so he would record songs onto his laptop and post them online in the hopes of growing a fan base.

"Then maybe one day, I can sell my covers and my original songs! We could get money that way too!" He explained to Delic after a long day's work at the diner.

The blond loosened his tie, slipping off his apron and setting it on the counter, "Ahh, that sounds good. We could even do duets."

Psyche nodded, hopping up to show Delic his laptop screen, "Look! We even have a few followers on the blog too! I've only posted a few old songs, but it's enough to get something going!"

Delic smiled, rubbing Psyche's head affectionately with his palm, "Good work, Psyche. I'm proud of you."

After a few weeks in Osaka, the two of them had grown used to their frugal living. Psyche's big dreams of becoming an internet sensation were slowly taking shape as he recorded more covers. Delic was becoming more outgoing as he grew used to the city. He stayed out later and started to fall back into the same routine the two had started in high school.

Delic wouldn't come home until sunrise. Psyche would be sleeping on their blow up mattress, only to wake up to the front door opening quietly. He would pretend to stay asleep, listening to Delic's footsteps as he shrugged off his blazer and changed into pajamas to finally get a good night's rest.

He was becoming more of a host as time went on. His reputation grew, and he soon lost his job as a waiter for getting too much unwanted attention. His career plan shifted from the restaurant business to the hosting business.

And Delic was a phenomenal host.

He was raking in more money with this new job, and with good reason. His paychecks paid the bills, and it allowed Psyche to relax a bit more between recordings. Things only started getting hard when Delic wouldn't come home for multiple days on end. The lack of daily income often left Psyche scrambling to dig up some left over change to buy cup noodles from the grocery. But when Delic did come home, he'd have a nice wad of cash in his pocket and another hickey on his neck.

"Don't you think this is starting to get dangerous?" Psyche asked one late night when Delic walked through the front door.

The blond paused, closing it shut behind him and locking it, "What are you talking about?"

"This job…sleeping around…aren't you afraid you'll-"

"I'm not stupid, Psyche. I'm not going to catch some disease or get some girl pregnant. I use protection."

Delic's voice was sharp and to the point. He didn't have a good day. Psyche sat up, watching him with bleary eyes as his best friend walked around to throw his belongings onto the table to slip into pajama pants.

"I know…I just worry."

"Worry about what?" Delic grunted, turning to walk toward the mattress. Psyche instinctively shifted to give Delic space.

"That…you'll get hurt."

Delic made a sound of annoyance, sitting heavily on the mattress and causing Psyche to bounce a little from the movement. "I'm not going to get hurt. It's not like they can do much. Most of the women are fragile."

"I meant inside, Delic…"

"If you mean you're scared I'm going to fall in love with someone, you're dead wrong." Delic turned to face Psyche, his magenta eyes focused and harsh on Psyche's gaze. "You do remember what happened last time, right?" The raven nodded quietly.

"I do, I-"

"Then what makes you think that I'd let it happen again, ha? Why the hell would I put myself in that situation? Why would I want to let someone get that close to me only to hurt me again?"

Psyche cringed, "I…I'm sorry Delic…that's not what I meant…"

The blond's eyes softened as he sighed, "I know…I'm sorry. It was a rough day…the prick never paid me so it was like a free ride." He laid down beside Psyche, reaching over to pet his hair softly. "I shouldn't have gotten short with you. Are you ok?"

Psyche nodded, leaning into the gentle touch, "I'm fine. I only worry about you."

Delic smiled, "Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine." He pulled the blankets over them, tucking it around Psyche's thin frame. "Let's just sleep, alright? Forget this small spat never happened." Psyche murmured in agreement, curling up close to the host. He closed his eyes, soaking in the warmth of Delic's arms around him as he was lulled back to sleep.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Geez, it's been forever. But good news, I passed all my classes~! Now I'm on summer break and I can focus on writing! So hopefully more frequent updates soon! Thank you for reading! Also, I can't remember but I believe the extra money Delic's mom gave them was around $500.<strong>_


	7. More Than This

His restful sleep didn't last long. They rarely lasted long nowadays. Especially during nights when Delic wasn't home, Psyche would be plagued with nightmares.

Psyche never did well when he was alone. When his mother was first admitted to the hospital, he stayed with Delic to keep calm. Delic had become a source of comfort. When he wasn't around, there was nothing to shake away the bad thoughts that crept into his dreams.

They were usually the same dream, just a different setting. His mother was the star of the show. The illness was the antagonist. She would fight and fight, only to finally succumb to the disease. Sometimes she'd be at the train station and she'd forget which train to board onto, accidentally leaving Psyche behind on the platform. Other times, they were in their small apartment in Ikebukuro, and his mother would run out of the house screaming only to get hurt by a stray dog or a racing car.

But on this night, the outcome was much more permanent. This time, Psyche was with Delic. His mother was no where to be seen. But her presence was still there. Even in Psyche's dreams she was there without him seeing her. The only hint of her existence was a bouquet of flowers floating in a sea of headstones.

He never saw in his dreams how his mother would die. All he ever knew was that she was gone, and he wasn't there to help her move into the next world. Those fears would ripple into the waking world, causing Psyche to tremble and whimper in his sleep.

One night, Delic was home to experience one of Psyche's many night terrors. He cooed him, running his fingers through his hair and kissing his forehead softly to calm him. He would whisper soft nothings in his ear, telling him his mother was safe and that there was nothing to be scared of. But Psyche still woke up with tears streaming down his face, clinging to Delic's solid form.

"D-Delic…"

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Psyche shuddered, whimpering, "Delic…please don't…"

It was moments like these when Delic forgot everything he seemed to have known about the brunet. Like how to comfort him. As children, it came so easy. But now, he was so trained to please women and their needs…

…Psyche was hardly on his mind anymore.

He knew it might have not been the right time. And he was certain that this wasn't the answer to Psyche's problem. But the raven had abandonment and isolation issues. Affection and physical touch was what he needed to survive.

So that's what Delic gave him.

He brushed his lips against Psyche's temple, moving down to softly caress the brunet's lips with his own. His fingertips gently glided over Psyche's form, coaxing him to stop quivering and to focus on something other than the nightmares.

He kissed away Psyche's tears, murmuring comforting words as his hands moved to rest on Psyche's waist. He could feel the light tremors in Psyche's body fading away. He heard Psyche's soft whimpers in between their kisses.

"Delic…"

"Shh…it's ok…"

"..Delic..I'm…"

"I know you're scared. You'll be ok, I'll protect you."

Psyche relied on those words, hanging onto them as Delic continued to pepper soft, chaste kisses. He trust Delic to shield him from any nightmares or bad thoughts. He focused solely on the feel of their lips brushing, the pressure of Delic's hands on his waist, and the warm and gentle breath that carried sweet words to his ears.

"Delic…?"

"What is it?" Delic pulled away a moment to stare down at the raven. He brushed the dark bangs away from his pink eyes, running his thumb over his forehead.

Psyche reached up, cupping Delic's cheeks with his hands. He held him carefully, as if his touch would break the perfect structure of his face.

They stared at each other silently, letting their eyes do the talking. After a few moments, Delic bent down and closed the gap. He kisses his best friend delicately, only to grow firmer as the brunet began to speed up the pace.

Delic's hands moved over the expanse of Psyche's body, caressing every gentle curve. Psyche's breath hitched for a moment as Delic's cold fingers swept over his stomach.

He chuckled at Psyche's reaction to his icy hands on his skin. He presses his lips against Psyche's earlobe, whispering softly in his ear, "So cute, Psy-kun."

"Ahnn.."

The blond grazed his teeth against the ear lobe, suckling on it gently before trailing kisses down his jaw. The raven writhed under him, whimpering as he quietly begged for more. He took his time pleasing Psyche, his mouth moving down to his clavicle. Delic peppered butterfly kisses against his collarbone, his hand moving lower to rub Psyche's arousal through his pajamas.

"Oohh..D-Delic..nnmm…"

"It's ok, I'm here," Delic murmured as he palmed Psyche's cock tenderly. It twitched from the soft and loving gestures. The young host smiled and moved his lips up to capture Psyche's, drinking in the breathy gasps and mewls that escaped.

His hand slipped under the waistband of Psyche's pajamas and wrapped around his erection, caressing it firmly as he began to stroke in slow, deliberate strokes. He wanted Psyche to no longer be scared. He didn't want him to feel alone or left behind. He wanted him to feel loved and wanted, and this was the only way Delic knew how to show that Psyche was important to him.

The raven squeaked and arched, his hips jerking slightly as Delic continued his pace. His toes curled and his eyes fluttered shut as he felt wave upon wave of pleasure washing over him. Such soothing and gentle movements…it made his body react much stronger than usual. Delic had to pause and pull away, not wanting him to come just yet.

He pulled Psyche's pants down, exposing him completely. He bent his head down, kissing the tip of Psyche's cock as it jumped at the chilled air. Delic peppered light kisses from the tip to the base, loving the way it reacted to his touch.

Psyche mewled, biting his lip as he was brought closer to his climax. He wasn't used to this…they were never the type to have tantric sex. It was…blowing his mind in the most subtle way. But most importantly, it was washing away the nightmares that clouded his mind.

"Delic…Delic, I…"

"You'll be ok…it was just a dream, you're safe with me."

"Ngg..Delic, don't le-aah!"

Suddenly, a warm and wet fleeing swept over his entrance. It was something he never felt before. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it was a sensation that would take getting used to.

"O-oh! Ahh..mmnn…_oohh_…"

Delic's tongue continued to lap at Psyche's taut hole, the tip teasing the pucker as he used his hands to spread his legs. He flattened his tongue, broadly licking up from to his perineum, to his balls. He suckled on them for a moment before moving back down to focus on his entrance.

Psyche was shuddering, his body spasming with each _lick _and _suck. _His eyes rolled back and his hands fisted in the sheets. His normally loud and lewd voice was barely audible as he gasped and choked on moans. It was so fucking sexy to Delic's ears.

He curled his tongue to a point, driving it slowly into Psyche's hole. It breached the first ring of muscle, causing the raven to arch and writhe and mewl. With a soft moan, Psyche tensed up and came onto his stomach. He panted softly, his hands finding their way to rest on Delic's, which still held his legs wide open.

With a smirk, Delic got up and walked over toward his jacket which was draped carelessly on the chair. He dug inside the pocket, pulling out a small tube of lube and a condom. He walked back over, chuckling when Psyche made a small moan of arousal at the sight of Delic's cock standing tall and proud.

He got on his knees and positioned himself between Psyche's legs. He ran his hands over the expanse of milky skin, causing shivers to run up the brunet's spine. Delic took the condom and ripped the package with his teeth, loving the way Psyche reacted. After slipping it over his cock, he took the lube and squirted some into his palm, stroking himself quickly for preparation.

"Psyche…"

"Nnn…"

"Do you need me to stretch you out?"

Psyche shook his head, shivering slightly. "N-no…I'll be ok…"

Delic took the cue to line his cock with Psyche's entrance. He pushed the head inside, moaning softly as he waited for the brunet to get used to the sudden intrusion. When Psyche's almost painful gasps turned into low moans, he continued to sheath himself, moving slowly and carefully until he was all the way in.

He leaned down, kissing Psyche softly as the raven looped his arms around his neck. The blond felt thin legs wrap around his waist as he lifted his hips away. He pulled out almost all the way before slowly pushing back in.

"Aahh~…"

Delic repeated the action, drawing his hips back before bringing them back together with Psyche's. He kept the movements fluid and smooth, gently pushing his cock in and out at Psyche's insides sucked him in.

"Ooh..oh Delic…mnnn…"

"Haah..ah Psy.."

He snapped his hips slightly, thrusting deeper to press against his prostate firmly. The raven moaned, almost breathless as Delic began to steadily hit his sweet spot over and over in the most gentle and loving manner.

Psyche felt completely full; Delic's cock rubbing against every velvety wall as the head massaged his prostate. He felt himself on the verge of climax again, knowing Delic was close as well by the way his muscles quivered and his breathing became more raspy.

"I'm here…I will always be here," Delic grunted, his head bent low to whisper in Psyche's ear. The raven clung to him tighter as Delic arched his back and bucked his hips into him. This position was intimate. It was loving. It was the comfort Psyche needed and so much more.

"Delic, I…!"

Psyche was cut off at the feeling of Delic suddenly stiffening, his hips jerking as he came. Psyche imagined the feeling of Delic's come splashing against his insides, the fantasy helping push him over the edge to come as well.

Their lips met as they rode out their orgasms, hips moving together as their thrusts slowed. Delic pulled out, rolling the condom off and tying it before tossing it into the trash.

He placed another soft kiss on Psyche's lip before pulling away completely. The raven sighed contentedly, his eyelids falling from exhaustion.

"Where are you going…?" he asked quietly as Delic got up from the mattress.

"Bathroom. Going to get a wash cloth to clean you up."

He was gone for only a moment before he came back with a warm, wet cloth. He laid beside him, pulling the thin raven close before rubbing the cloth against his stomach. The excess come easily wiped away, promising for a quick clean up.

Psyche closed his eyes, enjoying every second of being in Delic's arms and being pampered. Normally Psyche would have to clean himself off, but having Delic do it was…really nice.

The small gesture of affection made Psyche's heart beat a bit faster. It made him feel warmer and happier. It made him feel loved. He closed his eyes, smiling as he leaned into his best friend.

"Delic…"

"Hmm?"

"You're…always there for me…"

The blond smiled, kissing Psyche's forehead softly before setting the washcloth aside and laying down to pull the blankets over them. "That's the plan."

"You're…not just a…fuck-buddy…"

He couldn't help but chuckle at the soft statement, "I never wanted to be just a fuck buddy. I'm your best friend."

Psyche sighed tiredly, letting sleep overtake him as he wrapped his arms around Delic's waist, "You're more…"


	8. Elephant In The Room

For the next three months, Delic's job as a host supported them decently. Psyche's music was starting to get more popular, and he had some money coming in through online stores from people buying his covers.

Behind closed doors, Psyche and Delic began to grow a more intimate relationship. Psyche wasn't certain if it was love, but he didn't mind. Delic wasn't servicing women after hours, and was coming home to focus on his needs. That was all Psyche thought he needed.

The sex became more loving. It was still fast paced and sudden, but he could feel affection in every touch and hear tenderness in every sound. There were moments he nearly said that forbidden statement, but bit his tongue to hold them back.

He could never utter those words. If he did, he would ruin everything he and Delic had. If Delic knew that his best friend loved him…who knows how he would react. Psyche would like to think he wouldn't leave, but Delic was one to run from love.

The thought broke his heart, but Psyche was a masochist when it came to Delic. He was willing to live in a one-sided relationship with his best friend as long as it meant they were together.

Despite the conflicts in his heart, confidence began to grow within the brunet. He started going out with Delic to the clubs, trying to get a job as a performer. He wouldn't mind singing on stage, and it would give him more time to spend with Delic.

His voice soon landed him a part time job. He would sing along with the band during the evening as the hosts worked.

He would often watch Delic as he worked, singing songs he knew Delic would enjoy. He couldn't help but smile when he would sing one of the blond's favorites and see him smile a little more genuinely. Though, he dislike seeing Delic surrounded by potential suitors.

He knew it was purely business. However, Psyche couldn't help but feel possessive and protective of his best friend. He didn't like seeing the blond parading around with women and the occasional man.

Delic was _his. _They were best friends. No one could ever know Delic as well as he did. Seeing those…those whores try to peel away the layers of Delic's personality pissed him off.

There were moments when his voice would grow harsh when singing, catching Delic's attention. He would shake it off and continue to sing, pretending that their gazes didn't meet.

This process repeated every night. Psyche would start singing perfectly, but would start to falter when Delic would get a bit too close to his suitor, or when he would flash a smile that was a bit too sweet. Delic would notice and watch him quietly, concern in his eyes. Only the blond could tell when Psyche was upset by the slight hardness in that normally sweet tone, just as Psyche could read the emotion in his best friend's eyes when their eyesight caught for a second too long.

Both pink clad men knew that they couldn't ignore the elephant in the room any longer. After one performance, Delic went backstage to check on Psyche. The brunet was drinking tea, trying to soothe his voice to prepare for the next few hours.

"Hey Psyche."

The raven turned, smiling when he saw Delic coming. He opened his arms, rushing to hug him tightly. Psyche sighed as he breathed in Delic's cologne. It always could soothe him.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

"Yeah I did. You're doing great up there." Delic smiled, patting Psyche's head the same way he had since their elementary days. "I just came back to make sure you're doing alright."

"Never been better!"

He had spoken a bit too quickly. Psyche knew that, and Delic knew that. Two pairs of pink eyes stared at each other for a moment before Delic broke the gaze.

"We can talk when our shifts are over, ok?"

Psyche nodded, knowing that Delic would bring it up when they went home. The host turned and left to head back to his current "date". Psyche frowned, feeling that green monster growing inside of him again. He forced it away, turning to walk back onto the stage. He couldn't sing when he felt like this. He had to focus on the music.

Two more hours passed before their shifts ended. Psyche finished his song, bowing and smiling at the thinning crowd as he headed backstage again. He pushed his way into his dressing room and changed into more comfortable clothes, staring at himself in the mirror.

With a sigh, he poked at the growing bags under his eyes. These long shifts were wearing him down. He didn't know how Delic could do it. Sure, he wasn't performing on stage for hours, but he was acting and putting on a show for his clients.

He rubbed his eyes, grabbing his bag and heading to the backdoor where Delic would meet up with him. He saw the blond sitting at his booth with an older woman, in her mid thirties. She was obviously flirting and trying to coax Delic to service her more. She ran her hand along his leg, causing Psyche's blood to boil.

The raven shoved the door open and ran outside, sprinting away from the club and back home. He didn't want to see any more women on Delic. He didn't want to imagine what happened after hours. He didn't want to know. He didn't want anything except Delic to be with him.

By the time he reached their apartment, he was winded and gasping for air. He leaned against the wall, dropping his bag and sliding to sit on the concrete. Panting, Psyche looked up at the night sky, the clouds covering the stars and the moon. His throat burned and his legs ached, but he forced himself to get back up and make his way back to their makeshift home.

Fumbling with the key, Psyche let himself inside. He threw his bag into the corner and flopped right onto the air mattress, sinking into it as it slightly deflated from his weight.

He hated this feeling that had grown inside of him. He hated that he had no control of what he thought or how he felt. He hated how he was wrapped around Delic's finger and the blond didn't seem to notice or care. He hated it all.

Curling around a pillow, Psyche buried his face into the blankets and tried to hold back tears of stress and heartbreak. He only stopped crying when he felt a comforting hand on his back.

Psyche looked up, sniffling when he saw Delic's face. The blond ran his fingers through Psyche's hair, trying to soothe him silently. There were no need for words. They both knew what Psyche was feeling. They didn't need an explanation.

"Are you mad at me?" Delic asked as Psyche rubbed his face with his sleeve. The raven shook his head. He wasn't mad at Delic. He was annoyed with his job, and all the people who clung to him.

"Is this about what happened last time we…"

Psyche glanced up, trying to read Delic's expression. He had mastered the mask that he kept on his face while working. It was sweet and caring, and Psyche couldn't tell if it was sincere or not.

"Yeah…I guess," he murmured, pulling his knees close to him. Delic sighed softly, shaking his head. He didn't know how to handle this situation. He never imagined Psyche would develop feelings for him. He wasn't planning on having this conversation.

But first, he had to make sure he and Psyche were on the same page.

"Are you upset because I'm always around women?"

Another soft nod.

"Is that because you…" Delic paused, almost afraid to even utter the word. He knew deep down that this was what needed to be said. But…he couldn't bring himself to say it. "Because you don't want to lose me?"

Psyche shrugged, "I…I guess that's part of it. It's...it's more than that though." Psyche could feel his hands trembling. He was so scared. He knew that Delic was against this; against the idea of love and romance. His lifestyle refused to allow that emotion into his heart.

Delic waited a moment, lowering his gaze before choking out the question that would expose everything. "Is it because you're in love with me?"

The brunet could feel tears welling in his eyes, and his shoulders shook as he tried to hold back the urge to cry.

"Psyche…you know I-"

"I know! I know you don't believe in love and you don't want to get in a real relationship. That's why I haven't told you! Why I never wanted to tell you!" Psyche said quickly, his voice raising as he rambled faster, "You're my best friend and I didn't want to ruin it because I was getting attached. I'm…I'm so sorry…"

Delic reached over, pulling the brunet into his lap. He rocked him gently, rubbing his back. He knew that this was a delicate situation. Although he didn't believe in love, he knew that heartbreak existed. He had experienced it once before, and he knew that if he didn't tread lightly, he could easily crush Psyche's heart.

"Psyche…" he started, sighing as he pet his hair lightly, "…you can do so much better than me." He could feel Psyche whimper and shake his head against his shoulder, trying to deny what Delic was telling him. "You know it's true…I'm…I'm not right for you. I don't deserve to be loved by you."

"Yes you do…you never left me. You've always protected me and stayed by my side. Even when we grew apart, you never abandoned me or replaced me!"

Hearing Psyche try to argue with him, try to protect his heart, hurt Delic deeply. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt him. "Please, Psyche…you're making this hard for me."

"And this isn't hard for me?" Psyche pushed him away and stood up, wobbling a bit on the mattress, "You should be the first person to understand how I feel!"

"I do, Psyche! I know exactly how you feel. I've already gone through this before..." Delic tried to move to stand up as well, but Psyche shifted and moved to the floor, head shaking. "I'm trying to make this as painless as possible."

"Well it is painful…"

"I know…but I don't want you to feel this way when I -"

"Don't say that!"

They remained silent, staring at each other with a harsh stare. Psyche faltered first, eyes overflowing with tears as he kneeled onto the half deflated mattress and cried. Delic opened his arms, gently coaxing him back into his embrace. Although it hurt Psyche more to be close to him, he craved the comfort and affection. He was trained like Pavlov's dog to go to Delic when he was in pain.

"Psyche…"

The raven hiccupped in response, burying his head into the blond's shoulder.

"I'm sorry that I can't…I can't reflect those feelings for you. I'm so sorry that I've hurt you."

Psyche nodded, knowing that Delic meant no harm. He wasn't that kind of person. "It's…it's ok." He hugged him tightly, trying to push down the hurt. He knew from the beginning that Delic wouldn't love him, and he even knew deep down that Delic wouldn't leave him. But that didn't help heal his broken heart any faster.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm so sorry this took so long to update! This fic has been really hard for me. My Delic muse is so weak ;-; I'm not dropping this fic, however it will be put on the back burner because I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo to work on an original story. So bear with me for the month long drought through June! And thank you so much for reading~!<strong>_


	9. Invitation

Psyche yawned as he sifted through the bills and junk mail that he picked up from their P.O. Box. Nothing interesting caught his eye as he walked back to the apartment. Useless junk compiled of coupons, newsletters and bills - oh wait bills are important.

A white envelope with his name scrawled in gold ink grabbed his attention, causing him to wonder who it could be from. The golden seal and the address stamped at the top told him it was from his relatives in Kyoto. Why would they be sending him a letter?

He tossed the rest of the mail in the trash - salvaging the bills of course - and sat down in a chair as he tore open the envelope.

_The Orihara family would like to announce that_

**Psyche Orihara**

_Is cordially invited to attend the wedding ceremony of _

_Sakuraya Orihara and Toki Sonohara._

The letter contained more information about the time, place, and RSVP. It also listed a dress code that was far more formal than Psyche would have imagined. He dropped the letter on the table and scrambled to the dresser to start pulling out every scrap of cloth he could find. He only hoped that he could find something decent enough to wear.

After fifteen minutes of searching, the most formal outfit he could come up with was a pink dress shirt and black dress pants. He wasn't sure if it would suit. This side of his family was far more regal that what he was used to.

The sound of the door opening and closing shut signaled that Delic had come home early from work. He dashed out into the living room; wearing the outfit he had pulled together, and ran up to Delic.

"Delic! Does this outfit look "formal"?" he asked, twirling somewhat to show off the ensemble. The blond cocked a brow and looked him up and down.

"It's almost there…could use a tie or a jacket to pull it all together," he paused and forced his gaze back up at Psyche, "Why do you need to be dressed up?"

Psyche smiled, "I was invited to my distant cousin's wedding. I never thought he would get married!"

Delic chuckled, "Is it the one with the bad attitude?" The raven laughed and shook his head, saying it was the calmer and more serene one. Delic grinned, walking over and patting Psyche on the back, "Good to hear! So I'm guessing you'll be heading out there for the ceremony?"

"Yeah, but I need formal attire and I'm not exactly sure what that means…" Psyche said awkwardly. He didn't like admitting that he wasn't really classy or "fancy" like his relatives were. Delic didn't seem to mind and took Psyche's hand to take him to the small closet where he kept his suits and work clothes.

"You can borrow one of my jackets. You won't mind switching out the black slacks for white, will you?" he asked, glancing over at Psyche briefly. The raven stuttered, shaking his head as he watched Delic go through his clothes. "It might be a loose fit…" Delic murmured as he pulled out a tailored jacket, "But it will do."

He handed Psyche the jacket and went to pull out a pair of matching white pants to go with it. Psyche retreated into the bathroom to change, although both of them knew that seeing each other naked wasn't a big issue between them, and came out once he was dressed, "So, how does this look?"

"Much better, much more suave and elegant," Delic purred as he gave Psyche a once over. The white suit and pink shirt complimented Psyche's eyes, and the black tie brought out his hair color as well. "You had better be careful; you'll steal the eyes away from the bride."

Psyche flailed, smacking Delic lightly as he blushed, "Don't say stuff like that!" Delic only laughed more, easily grabbing Psyche's thin wrists and holding them away.

"Why not? Your reaction is priceless," he teased. Psyche huffed and turned redder. Delic released him, ruffling his hair affectionately before shrugging off his own jacket and unbuttoning his shirt to change into more comfortable clothes.

Psyche watched him for a moment, ears turning red as he forced himself to look away, "Oh…um, the letter said I could bring a guest. I'm sure they assume I would bring Mom. But she's still too ill to travel all the way to Kyoto…" Delic turned toward Psyche, a playful gleam in his eye.

"Are you asking if I'll be your escort?"

The raven nodded timidly.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind." Delic changed into his pajamas, sitting on the bed so he could pull off his socks, "Now, when exactly is the wedding? That way we can take the day off work."

"It's in three weeks," Psyche said as he played with the black tie that Delic often wore. The clothes smelled like the blond. Butterflies fluttered in Psyche's stomach; all he wanted to do was press the fabric to his nose to breathe in the scent of cologne and cigarettes. It was a strange but delicious combination of aromas.

"That should give us plenty of time to get a few days off and save up some cash." Delic looked up at Psyche and couldn't help but chuckle. It was almost sad how obviously smitten the raven was. It made him feel guilty over what had happened between them. He sighed and patted the edge of the blow up mattress beside him, "Come on and get some rest. I think we've earned it."

Psyche shrugged out of his hand-me-downs and slipped in more comfortable clothes. He folded the suit and set it aside, planning to pack it away later when they learned how long they were going to stay. He crawled into his spot on the mattress, curling up to the blond.

Those three weeks passed by in a flash, and before they knew it, Psyche and Delic were on a train heading to Kyoto. Psyche stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by as he played with the tie around his neck. Delic had to smack his hand a few times to stop him from making it too lose. The raven glanced over at the blond beside him with admiration. Even sitting underneath the terrible lighting in a jerky train, Delic looked handsome as ever.

Delic caught Psyche's gaze, chuckling when he quickly looked back out the window. It was bittersweet the way Psyche still looked at him. It had been a month since he told Psyche he didn't share those feelings for him, yet the brunet seemed to be doing just fine. He still pined over him, but didn't follow through on his actions. It made it easier to forget the fact that he had hurt Psyche.

"We're nearly there!" Psyche said suddenly, pressing his nose against the glass, "I can see the estate!"

"Estate?" Delic slid closer and looked over Psyche's head, peering out into the distance, "They live in an estate?"

"This side of my family is really wealthy. I'm not surprised that they decided to hold the wedding ceremony here," Psyche said as the train passed by their destination. The estate itself was quite large, resembling that of an English castle more than anything else. Delic thought for a moment that they had somehow made their way to England.

"Who would have guessed…" he murmured as the train pulled into the station not too far away. Delic could just see the tips of the tall spires over the trees as he carried his luggage out of the train. Psyche bounded out, looking for their shuttle to the estate. He caught sight of a blond man with gray eyes standing by a black car. He was dressed in a butlers uniform and seemed to be well trained; he was unaffected by the glances he got from strangers.

"Delic, over here!" Psyche called as he pushed his way through the crowd and up to the butler. Over his breast pocket was the thin silver outlining of the Orihara family crest. He smiled up at the blond who smiled back at him.

"I take it you are Psyche Orihara?" the butler asked smoothly. Psyche nodded, reaching out his hand in greeting, "I'm not surprised. You look just like an Orihara." The butler bowed, crossing his arm over his chest, "My name is Shitsuo. I will be your servant while you stay at the Orihara estate, as well as your chauffeur to and from the city. May I take your bags?"

"No need! Delic and I can carry our own," Psyche said as he turned, waving his hand so Delic could see him. "Delic, our ride is here!"

Delic walked up, blinking in slight surprise. Shitsuo shared the same golden hair that ran in his family; at least, when it came to dyeing hair. He wondered briefly if he had any long lost relatives before giving Shitsuo a firm handshake.

"Thanks for the ride."

"It'll be my pleasure." Shitsuo took Psyche's bags regardless of the raven's protests and put them into the back trunk. Delic helped him pack away their belongings while Psyche got into the backseat and made himself comfortable.

Psyche had visited his family in Kyoto only once before for his cousin's birthday. It had been a big deal, but Psyche barely remembered much. The only thing in his memory was of all the sweets and candies he tried to hoard that were in the great hall.

Delic slid into the seat beside him as Shitsuo started the car. They began their journey back to the estate that seemed to hide deep within the forests. Psyche bounced his feet with eagerness as Delic remained relaxed beside him.

"Isn't this exciting?" Psyche asked, his voice slowly being tuned out by Delic's thoughts. The blond nodded, glancing back at Shitsuo through the mirror. It was strange seeing someone so familiar and having no idea who they were. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just thinking," Delic said as he tore his gaze away and looked back at Psyche. "You were saying?"

"I was just saying how fun this was going to be! The wedding is going to be absolutely beautiful!" Psyche giggled. Delic noticed the slight twinge in Shitsuo's face – perhaps resentment?

"I'm sure it will be," Delic murmured as he wrapped an arm around Psyche. The raven leaned into him happily, enjoying the closeness. Both of them knew that their relationship was platonic, and would never grow into something more. Yet they both needed the physical touch to stay sane, so they continued to have their moments of tenderness. They hadn't had sex, both too afraid that it would stir emotions that they couldn't act on, but cuddling close to one another was fine.

Psyche sat up a bit and leaned over, looking at Shitsuo through the mirror, "Shitsuo, where will we be staying for the weekend?"

"You have both been assigned separate quarters in the guest wing. Master Psyche, your room will be on the first floor, while Master Delic will be staying on the second floor directly above you," Shitsuo said as he pulled the car up to the long, winding driveway. Psyche pouted and crossed his arms.

"There is no way Delic and I can share a room?"

"I'm sorry but there is no way to change that," Shitsuo said firmly, his gray eyes narrowing. It was obvious to Delic that something was bothering him and he planned on asking about it when they stopped.

As they pulled up to the estate, Psyche and Delic noticed that there were several other cars parked or pulling up with them. Guests flooded out and handed their bags to their respectful butlers and maids before heading to their room.

Shitsuo stepped out and opened the door for them, reaching to take their bags out of the trunk. Psyche raced out, grabbing his duffel bag of spare clothes, "I'll get it!" He carried his bags toward the front doors, calling out to Delic to meet him in the foyer when he put his things away.

Delic used this moment to grab his bags and to talk to Shitsuo. He nudged his shoulder, pulling him close so they could whisper, "Alright, what's on your mind?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, sir," Shitsuo said warily, confused by Delic's question.

"Whenever Psyche brought up the wedding, you tensed up." Shitsuo opened his mouth to deny the claims, but he couldn't help but notice the smile on Delic's face when he felt Shitsuo stiffen once more at the thought of the wedding. He sighed, shoulders sagging.

"I am simply opposed at the wedding," he murmured, keeping his voice low. Delic cocked a brow, watching him as the butler moved to close the trunk of the car.

"Why's that?" he pried, picking his bags off the cobblestone driveway.

Shitsuo narrowed his eyes, lip sneering slightly, "I do not think it is appropriate for me to reveal my reasons." He stood up straighter, slamming the trunk closed as he moved back to the front of the car.

"It's because you love her, right?" Delic called out boldly, causing a few guests to glance over. Shitsuo turned red, spinning to shut Delic up.

"Keep your voice down!" He paused, his voice catching in his throat, "I mean…please keep your voice down, sir." Delic chuckled, walking over to pat his back.

"I will, as long as you spill the beans. Is it because she's getting hitched?" he asked quietly, trying to get some answers out of the butler. Shitsuo remained silent for a moment before sighing.

"It's not her."

Delic's eyes widened slightly as a grin grew on his face, "Aahh, so its Psyche's relative. What was his name again…?"

"Sakuraya." Even the way Shitsuo said the man's name, Delic could tell that he was fond of the groom. So that's why he was so tense about the wedding.

"You like-"

"Like is a word that doesn't describe my feelings for my master," Shitsuo said quickly, his eyes looking back toward the estate, most likely in the direction of Sakuraya's room. The response made Delic's stomach twist. There was that emotion again, that feeling of total commitment and passion.

"You love him?"

Shitsuo nodded solemnly, "I do…and he loves me in return."

Delic was surprised at this, unsure of what to say. "Wait, if he loves you too, why doesn't he…oh."

This was an arranged marriage, one most likely based on politics. There was no love or affection or devotion in this wedding. This was a fraudulent ceremony meant to smooth over a family rivalry.

"He would, if he could," Shitsuo said softly, his eyes reflecting sadness, "But this is to ensure the wellbeing of the Orihara family. Besides, for him to fall in love with another man let alone his servant…" he didn't have to finish. Delic could only imagine what drama that would bring on. He made a mental note to not let the truth about his relationship with Psyche slip out.

"Your secret is safe with me," Delic promised, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He looked up toward the estate and saw Psyche and Sakuraya in one of the windows. His best friend waved at him excitedly, and Delic couldn't help but smile back and wave. Sakuraya too waved, but Shitsuo merely bowed his head.

"You should be heading back to your room, Master Delic."

"Ahh, right. Thanks for bringing us here," Delic said as he grabbed his last bag. He looked back to the window, but the two were gone. Delic walked back toward Shitsuo and pat him on the shoulder, "I wish you the best of luck with him."

Shitsuo smiled, although it was a gloomy smile, "Thank you. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Orihara estate."


	10. Matrimony

The wedding ceremony was the next day, exactly at noon. It was a perfect day for an outdoor wedding as well; the sun shone brightly, the only clouds in the sky far in the distance. Not a chance of bad weather to be seen. The temperature itself was a bit chilly due to the breeze.

The wedding was very traditional. It was being held at a private shrine that was surrounded by sakura blossoms, which were very fitting for the groom. He was named after them after all. He stood at the back with his bride, talking with her silently as the guests filled the seats.

Psyche and Delic moved toward the groom's side of the chapel. Psyche wanted to see the couple as they passed, but Delic didn't want to sit directly in the front. They compromised with a middle row close to the aisle.

Delic looked around for a moment and blanched – he was surrounded by ravens. The Orihara family had exceptionally dark hair, even for being Japanese. It was always pitch black and silky, and their pale complexion didn't help with the color. A rainbow of eyes stared at him as he sat down, eyeing him and his strangely colored hair. He was certain they were making assumptions about him and Psyche.

One Orihara in particular was scrutinizing him with golden eyes. That gaze held power and dignity so strong that even Delic felt overwhelmed by it. He broke eye contact and leaned closer to Psyche to ask who the man dressed in white and gold was.

"That's my youngest cousin Hibiya. He's the one who is going to inherit this estate once he's of age," Psyche murmured quietly. He looked over Delic's shoulder and smiled, waving toward his cousin. Hibiya huffed and turned away, crossing his arms. "Although he seems to have developed an attitude since I last saw him…"

"You're tellin' me…" Delic grumbled in reply.

When the ceremony began, Delic had to remind Psyche to keep quiet – it was hard to keep the raven settled when he was overwhelmed with excitement. They watched Toki and Sakuraya walk the short aisle – Delic noticing the somewhat depressed look on Sakuraya's face as he glanced over toward the corner of the room. When Delic looked in that direction, he saw Shitsuo watching solemnly.

He felt a pang in his heart, one of understanding and condolence. He understood what it felt like to love someone and have it not work out; however, this was far more extreme than what he had gone through in high school.

Delic looked over at Psyche, noticing how he was grinning from ear to ear; completely oblivious to the political arrangement that was taking place. He was seemingly blinded by the concept of love and didn't see the corruption beneath the mask. Delic wondered if that was a blessing or a curse, to be so blatantly positive to the point that he could block out anything negative.

What he didn't know was that Psyche had run into Sakuraya the day they first arrived. He didn't know that it was obvious to Psyche how Sakuraya longed for Shitsuo.

When he had bumped into him in the hall, they instantly greeted one another and caught up for old times' sake. Sakuraya helped Psyche put away his bags while they chatted despite being the most important man in the estate for that weekend. Being the chatty person that he is, Psyche had told Sakuraya about his life with his mother, how they had struggled, and how he had to deal with love and loss.

"You're so lucky you're able to get married to the one you love," Psyche commented as he fluffed up his slightly mashed pillow and placed it on the bed. "It must be nice to have someone like that."

"Yes…it is nice to have requited love," Sakuraya has said as he took a seat by the windowsill. Psyche glanced up and noticed something flash in his relative's eyes, one that he had seen in himself only a few months earlier.

"Is something wrong?"

Sakuraya seemed to be shaken from his day dreams, "Oh, yes. I'm quite alright." Psyche didn't buy it though, and it was obvious to Sakuraya that Psyche didn't believe him. He sighed, moving up to close the bedroom door.

"Saku—"

"Psyche, what I'm about to tell you is a secret I have told no one," Sakuraya started quietly, his voice hushed in a whisper. "You must keep this a secret and not let it interfere with the events that will be taking place tomorrow, do you understand?"

Psyche nodded, somewhat confused. "Why are you telling me this secret? Wouldn't you tell someone you know better?"

Sakuraya sat down on the bed beside him, grabbing Psyche's hands with his own and squeezing gently, "I'm telling you because you told me." Psyche was more confused by that, shaking his head slightly.

"I don't undersand…"

"Come." Sakuraya stood up, pulling Psyche to his feet. He led him to the window and pointed out. "Look out to the court yard. What is the first thing you see?"

It only took a moment before Psyche grinned and pointed down as well, "I see Delic and Shitsuo talking." He waved quickly, giggling when he saw the blond wave back at him.

"And why is it you saw him first?" Sakuraya asked as he waved too, smiling warmly when Shitsuo bowed his head. Psyche had to think for a moment before answering.

"Because he's my best friend. I'll always spot him in a crowd first, and not just because he dyes his hair."

Sakuraya's eyes slid over to catch Psyche's, two shades of pink staring at each other quietly. "Is that the only reason?"

Psyche shook his head.

The elder nodded and sat back down onto the bed, Psyche following behind him. He remained silent, knowing that his cousin would be giving him one of his famous "wise lessons". It was best to keep quiet and let him talk.

"You love him, do you not?" Sakuraya asked. Psyche's eyes widened slightly, his mouth falling open.

"I never mentioned who I –"

"You didn't have to," Sakuraya said with a kind smile, "The chemistry between you two is very strong. However, you said that he does not love you back, yet he is still the most important thing in your life. Why?"

Psyche's heart was beating fast in his chest. He had never openly expressed his feelings to anyone else before. Only Delic knew of his most raw emotions. He was scared to admit what he had been trying to hide.

"It is all right. I will not judge you," Sakuraya whispered comfortingly. Psyche let his head fall as he closed his eyes.

"He's…he's the only person I feel that I can be myself with. He's the only person who ever made me feel this safe." Psyche glanced back up at Sakuraya, "But I don't understand what this has to do with the wedding tomorrow…"

Sakuraya's smile faltered somewhat. "Sometimes…sometimes relationships aren't built upon love or friendship. Sometimes, they are formed to ease conflicts between families." Realization dawned on Psyche at that moment. He looked back toward the window, knowing that Delic and Shitsuo were still outside.

"Shitsuo…"

"If I could have a choice, I would choose him," Sakuraya said quietly. His voice was echoing with sadness, calling out to Psyche for comfort. The youngest hugged his cousin tightly. "Just like you, Shitsuo is my best friend and my true companion. I love him more than anyone else. However, we simply cannot act on our emotions." He pulled back to hold onto Psyche's shoulders to look in his eyes. "Yes, requited love is a wonderful thing. But sometimes I wonder if it's easier to deal with heart break than to deal with this."

Sakuraya had taught him a valuable lesson that night before leaving to get ready for the wedding the next day. Psyche learned to value what he had and not what he had lost. He was lucky compared to others. Even with his heart aching, he still had the chance to be with the person he loved most. Sakuraya didn't have a choice.

During the ceremony, he desperately wanted to intervene and help Sakuraya be with his one true love. He bit his tongue and kept quiet, putting on a fake smile as they walked past. To others, he seemed over joyed to the point of crying. However the tears in his eyes were one of sorrow.

He and Delic watched woefully as the Shinto priest conducted the ceremony, blessing the couple and giving them sake to drink. They listened as Sakuraya read aloud his vow. From his position, he was staring toward his family's side. Psyche was certain that his pink eyes were trained on the butler who stood in the shadows across from him, rather than on his bride. Delic was certain that Shitsuo was soaking up every last word that Sakuraya said. They were acting like this was their wedding, and the only two people who were attending were Psyche and Delic.

The wedding ended with a kiss, and soon everyone moved out to go to the reception in the dining hall. Delic noticed that Psyche had tears in his eyes. "Psyche, are you ok?"

The raven nodded and rubbed his eyes, 'Fine…just emotional."

Delic didn't have to ask twice. He could understand how Psyche was feeling.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you so much for waiting! This summer has been crazy! All of June I was working on my personal novel for Camp NaNoWriMo, and I'm proud to say that I completed all 50,000 words! However, my story is only half finished! So for August I'm doing it again to try and finish it up and reach another 50,000. That means I'll be taking another hiatus for August. I've been working all July to get back into the swing of writing these characters and unfortunately I took a bit too long. I only have another week to write as much as I can for this fic before I have to focus on my novel again. So, you get double the updates for being so patient and supportive! I really can't thank you all enough. So much love to all of you!<em>


	11. Reception

After the ceremony, everyone gathered into the dining hall for the after-party. The room was designed to resemble western culture. The floors were wooden and dark, along with the furniture. Chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a flecked glow across the room. The windows were large and scaled the walls, partially covered with deep burgundy curtains that brushed the floor. Along the back wall, a long table was covered with different foods and desserts. Small round tables with six chairs circling them were placed along one side of the dining hall. The other end was cleared to make a well sized dance floor in front of the band. They music group consisting of five members was playing soft traditional enka music. It made Delic gag as he walked in alongside Psyche. This wasn't his sort of music.

Psyche glanced up and chuckled lightly, tugging on Delic's arm, "It won't be this the entire night I'm sure." That was a white lie; he wasn't certain whether or not the music would ever change.

"Let's just find our seats."

Delic and Psyche weaved around the tables and looked for where they were assigned to sit. Eventually Psyche found his name and dragged Delic over, "We're right here! Oh, and we're close to the dessert table!" the raven squealed. The blond laughed at his response and pulled the chair out for Psyche to sit before taking his own seat.

"I wonder who we're sitting with," Delic mused as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair.

"No idea. Probably family," Psyche said as he looked around for any familiar faces. He knew he should recognize most of the guests, but he simply couldn't. The last time he was in town for a party he was only eight years old. He barely remembered anyone except his cousins. Hibiya was a baby, merely five years old at the time, and Sakuraya was already almost in high school at the age of thirteen. He had spent most of his time around them, stealing sweets and hiding under tables or playing in the court yard.

When family members came up to talk to Psyche about "how big he had gotten" or "what a handsome man he had become", he simply smiled and pretended he recognized them. However, none of them stayed to sit at the table except his great uncle who was starting to go senile and couldn't seem to remember much about anything longer than five minutes. He took the seat directly across from Psyche and stared at him.

"Uh…nice to see you again, uncle Ichiru."

"What?" said loudly, startling Psyche from the volume of his voice, "Do I know you?" Psyche paled slightly.

"I'm your great nephew, Psyche."

"Great? What makes you so great?"

Delic and Psyche exchanged uneasy glances. "No, I mean I'm your sister's son."

"My sister?"

Psyche went to try and explain but Delic just touched his shoulder and gave him a look that screamed "it's a lost cause". Psyche chuckled a bit and gave up trying to talk to his uncle.

Not too long after, two men walked over with smiles on their faces. They both looked to be around his age, give or take a year or two. The taller of the two was dressed in white with a yellow shirt poking out from underneath. He had blond hair that was brighter than Delic's and golden eyes. His friend was wearing white as well, but didn't wear a jacket. Instead he wore a green button up shirt with white pinstripes and very large glasses that made his eyes look a little larger than normal.

"Hey, I think these are out seats!" The blond, said as he jogged over to the table. The brunet with the large glasses chased after him awkwardly. "Hey table buddies! Mind if we sit here?"

Psyche grinned back at him, already enjoying his personality, "Go ahead!" The blond took the seat next to Delic while the brunet sat beside him. He introduced himself as Linda –which was kind of a girly named if you asked for Psyche's opinion.

"And this is my best friend Gakuen! We're good friends of Toki," Linda explained as he slapped Gakuen on the back. It made him jump and smile a little, murmuring a soft hello. "Don't mind him, he's shy. Until he's drunk. Then he's as outgoing as a—"

"Linda!"

Psyche and Delic laughed along with Linda, teasing the timid brunet a bit. "I'm Sakuraya's cousin, and this is my best friend Delic," Psyche chuckled. As Psyche continued to introduce themselves to their new friends, Delic noticed that the golden eyed Orihara from before had changed clothes and had now entered the room.

His formal attire had…become more of a costume, to put it nicely. He now wore a golden cape that draped over his shoulders and a crown to match. The heels of his shoes clacked on the hardwood as he made his way over. Delic's eyes locked on him, somehow drawn into the boy as he came close, passed by, and went to sit at a different table. He heard Psyche murmur something under his breath about being sad Hibiya wasn't sitting with them.

"So, do you guys have any idea who is taking the last seat?" Linda asked as he looked around. It seemed like all of the seats were almost taken – except for the special table where the bride and groom would sit.

"No idea. We were hoping someone else would know," Delic said as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes occasionally glancing across the hall toward Hibiya. Psyche grabbed the small paper in the empty seat and glanced at the name, his face turning white. "What is it?" Delic asked, noticing Psyche's discomfort.

"It's my cousin…"

"Christ, how many cousins do you have?"

"Tsk, such vulgar language to have at a wedding."

Psyche looked up to see his eldest cousin hovering above him. He had an aura that radiated dominance and superiority. Despite his naturally quiet yet sharp tongued nature, he was the head editor of his journalism company and by far the most successful – if you didn't include Izaya. He was dressed in all black; even his tie and dress shirt were black. He looked like he was going to a funeral rather than a wedding. The only fleck of color on him was in his garnet color eyes that stared down icily at Psyche.

"Roppi…nice to see you again…" Psyche forced out, his voice laced with bitterness that he couldn't hide even if he tried. Roppi sneered, sitting down in the empty chair next to Psyche.

"I can't say the same," he said shortly, leaning over to grab a mint from the small candy dish at the table. Gakuen and Linda looked between the two cousins, eyes wide and somewhat intimidated. Delic also felt the strong sense of rivalry between them.

"Would it be best if we changed seats?" Delic murmured into Psyche's ear. The raven shook his head, leaning back closer to Delic.

"I wouldn't want you to have to deal with him."

Unlike the rest of his family, Psyche's mother and Roppi's mother were sisters and were directly related. Psyche was related to Sakuraya, Izaya, and Hibiya through marriage. However blood connected Roppi and Psyche together, and it also seemed to create their animosity towards each other.

Delic remembered Psyche telling him stories about the numerous times he had to stay with Roppi. He was several years older than Psyche and was in high school when Psyche was just going into the fifth grade. He would constantly pick on him and say cruel things to get into his head. Psyche would retaliate and play tricks on him, steal his toys, and over all do anything he possibly could to annoy him.

To say the least, they were mortal enemies from the moment they set their eyes on each other.

* * *

><p>Thank you so much for the wait! I hope I still have some readers left ;u; I know it's been far too long since I updated! I've been working hard on my novel (which is nearly complete!) But I've had this ready to post, but college has been sucking up my time so I FINALLY have free time to post this! I hope you enjoy~<p> 


	12. Insults

Roppi glanced over at Psyche, his eyes narrowing as he watched Psyche and Delic talking quietly amongst themselves as the bride and groom walked in. Everyone hushed as they walked up to the stage where the band had stopped playing. Sakuraya gently tapped the microphone to get everyone's attention before welcoming everyone and thanking them for attending. The moment they sat down, dinner was served.

The team of butlers and maids walked around to each table, serving the guests their first part of their meal. Shitsuo was one of the butlers that came around. Psyche watched as he served the newlyweds. He wore a bright smile and looked genuinely happy for Toki and Sakuraya; however, Psyche assumed he was merely happy to be near his lover.

Delic also noticed this and nudged Psyche briefly and told him not to stare, "Let the happy couple have their alone time." The raven nodded and poked at his food, eating it slowly as Linda began prattling off about all the adventures he, Gakuen, and Toki had as kids. Delic nodded and listened to Linda speak, but kept glancing over toward the golden prince who was talking to another guest.

"When we were little, Toki, Gakuen and I would go to the park and hang out by the swing sets," Linda said with a big grin. "Sometimes as she would swing, I would lie down in the grass just right so I could look up her skirt as she went up—"

"Linda! That's not very appropriate!" Gakuen said quickly, trying to hush the blond who was too eager to ramble on. Psyche and Delic couldn't help but laugh, glancing at one another knowingly. It seems they weren't the only ones who did more than play on the swings.

"No need to be shy," Delic said as he took a sip of his drink. "I'm sure Linda wasn't the only one who was looking up skirts~" Gakuen's cheeks burned a bright red, causing Psyche and Linda to laugh.

"Delic is right! When we were kids we—"

"Excuse me. Some of us are trying to eat," Roppi grumbled bitterly as he stabbed his fork into his meal. The table fell quiet for a moment before Psyche narrowed his eyes at his cousin and spoke up.

"You're excused." Psyche said sharply. He wasn't in the mood for Roppi's games. He wanted to enjoy the wedding reception without dealing with his bad attitude. He turned back to Linda, ignoring the way Roppi's red eyes glared daggers into his back as he spoke, "As I was saying, Delic and I would often go to the park and cause mischief."

Delic looked over at Roppi, seeing how he was prepared to make another comment, and jumped in, "Psyche, remember the one time you and I put super glue on the monkey bars and we watched all the kids get stuck to them?"

Linda burst out laughing, causing Gakuen to jump. Psyche's uncle seemed to be in a daze and didn't really pay attention much to them – which was perfectly ok in Psyche's opinion.

"Oh man, what happened next? Did you guys get caught?" Linda asked eagerly, dying to know how the tale ended.

Psyche leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear, "We hid in the tunnels until the parents managed to pry their kids off the monkey bars. In the end everyone left because they were afraid more places were booby-trapped."

"Which they were," Delic added with a grin.

"So we had the entire place to ourselves for the night! It was awesome; we could do whatever we wanted!"

"Your story has me hanging on the edge of my seat," Roppi sighed monotonously. Psyche growled under his breath and spun in his chair to face his oldest cousin.

"At least I have stories to tell!" the pink eyed raven barked.

"None of which are interesting in the slightest. Why not go share your childish tales at the library with all the other snot nosed brats? I'm sure no one here would miss you."

Psyche flinched. "I was invited to attend the wedding thank you very much," he said defensively. He didn't want to admit that the comment stung.

Roppi scowled at him, clenching his hand so tight that his knuckles cracked, "You're invited to attend my fist as well."

"I'll have to take a rain check on that."

"Pity, your face could use some rearranging."

"Your ass can use some rearranging!" Psyche yelled, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. It caused the entire room to look at them questioningly. Even the band seemed to go quiet

"I will not discuss such crude matters at a wedding reception," Roppi said smoothly, not at all affected by Psyche's outburst.

"You're the one who started it!"

"Enough." Delic stood up, taking Psyche's arm gently. "Psyche, sit back down and ignore him." Psyche was shaking slightly, enraged and embarrassed. He nodded, allowing Delic to switch seats with him so he was in between the two spitfire ravens.

He tried to ignore Roppi's soft tsking of disapproval, "What a child." Roppi glanced up and looked over at Gakuen who immediately squeaked in submission, "He acts like he's fourteen."

"I'm nineteen," Psyche said quickly, unable to ignore him for long. This was how it always was when they were near each other. Constant fighting.

Roppi whistled, "Nineteen? I bet you can show me on your fingers all by yourself, can't you?" He waved his hand nonchalantly and rolled his eyes, "The kiddie table is over there." The comment made Psyche stab his knife into his food. He was seething and Roppi knew it. The red eyed raven smirked, cocking a brow as he waited for Psyche's rebuttal.

"Shut up Roppi. Go bother someone else."

"Ooh, scary. I'm quaking in my leather oxfords."

Psyche had no idea what the hell oxfords were, but he didn't say it. Although, it was obvious from his lack of response that he had no idea what Roppi was talking about. It caused the oldest of the cousins to laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you're too poor to know what those are. Speaking of poor, where did you get that suit? I don't think you were ready to shop in the big boy section."

"That does it!" Psyche yelled as he stood up, ready to beat the living daylight out of Roppi. In his head he knew that Roppi could easily kick his ass, but no one ever insulted Delic without some form of punishment!

Time seemed to slow for a moment as Delic burst out of his seat to grab Psyche's arm to tug him away. Roppi, who was also out of his seat to face Psyche was pulled back by the youngest Orihara.

Hibiya stood between them, glaring hard at both of them. Delic's eyes focused on Hibiya, finding his stare to be…extremely authoritative.

"Both of you, stop this instant. You are acting like children, which is sad to say since you are both older than I am! This is your cousin's wedding, and I'm sure he expected both of you to act maturely! If you're going to fight, take it outside into the courtyard, because the dining hall is no place for insolent fools to throw punches!"

Psyche was shaken out of his stupor by Hibiya's boldness. This was hardly the "prince" that he remembered. Hibiya as a child was timid, but still somewhat pushy. He demanded for things, but never really spoke up otherwise. Now here he was, standing up against Roppi. It was brave and foolish to do such a thing, but he didn't seem to be nervous at all. Psyche would have been shaking like a leaf by now.

Roppi narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at Hibiya for a moment before sitting back down in his seat. Hibiya whipped his head to look at Psyche and Delic coldly. Delic pulled Psyche away, murmuring briefly that he would handle him, and led him out of the dining hall.

"What the hell, Psyche? What got into you?"

"Roppi insulted you!" Psyche said in a frustrated whisper, "He insulted the both of us!"

"It was hardly an insult. My suits are top quality and he knows it. He's just trying to fuck with your head." Both of them glanced back to see Hibiya heading back to his seat with his head held high. Roppi seemed to have already brushed off the entire experience with ease.

Psyche turned and pushed open the doors to lead out of the dining hall. He stormed his way toward his room with Delic trailing behind him.

"Psyche calm down."

"Not possible!"

The raven was in no mood to deal with anyone. Not even Delic could make him feel better. He went to his room, slamming the door with frustration only for it to not make the banging sound he wanted to hear. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Delic had caught it and let himself inside.

"Delic, I don't wa—"

He was interrupted when Delic came over and pulled him close, trapping him in his embrace. The blond pressed his lips against the brunet's, hushing him as he held him firmly. Psyche squirmed, not wanting to be cut off in such a way. However, it didn't take long for him to stop fighting and to give in to Delic.

The host had a special talent when it came to calming him. Psyche was easily scared, angered, or saddened; it took a lot for him to relax after being put into one of his moods. However, Delic was one of the few people who could make him feel at ease. This was definitely one of those moments.

Delic broke the kiss gently, moving his lips to kiss his forehead and to softly soothe him with whispered words. He continued to repeat to him, "It's ok, stay calm, it's over, relax." The warm and secure hold he had on the raven mixed with the comforting words were enough to make Psyche practically go limp.

Delic guided Psyche to the bed, sitting him down. He wrapped his arms around him, resting his head on top of Psyche's black mop of hair as he rubbed his back. Psyche leaned into him, closing his eyes as his breathing slowed.

"Are you feeling better?" Delic asked lowly. Psyche nodded, sighing deeply. "Good. Do you want to try and go back?"

Deep down, Psyche wanted to. He wanted to be there for Sakuraya. This was supposed to be a fun trip where he would spend time with his family, but Roppi ruined that for him. He couldn't go back, knowing that he was sitting there.

"I think I'll stay here for a while…" he murmured.

"Ok." Delic helped Psyche lie down and tucked him into his bed. "Now just relax. I'm going to head back and tell Sakuraya that you apologize for what happened, ok?" Psyche nodded in silent agreement.

Delic got up to leave; pulling the curtains closed so the room was dark. He ran his fingers through Psyche's hair, watching as he closed his eyes in an attempt to rest. He left the room, closing the door behind him quietly before heading back to the dining hall.


End file.
